


Countermove

by Drakaina_amore64



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Astrid Hofferson Whump, Dark Astrid, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Head Injury, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III Whump, Implied Decapitation, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Retrograde Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:55:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26927719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drakaina_amore64/pseuds/Drakaina_amore64
Summary: When Viggo falls into the Volcano during Shellshocked Part 2, Astrid falls with him and receives a head injury that results in retrograde amnesia. She has no recollection of her past memories and Viggo is quick to use this to his advantage, leading her down a dangerous path.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Viggo Grimborn/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 69
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter 1

Hiccup screamed out her name as Astrid started descending into the volcano, panic shooting through him as he lunged forward. Her blue eyes widened as the ledge she was standing on continued to break away with herself and Viggo on it and she threw her hands out towards him. Hiccup reached out with desperation, their fingertips just brushing, but then Viggo grabbed the end of her skirt, attempting to stop himself from falling but it only made them plunge into the volcano faster. 

Hiccup fell to his knees, screaming out for her as he struggled to process what was happening. He yelled out for Toothless but then remembered that the Night Fury was lying unconscious with Stormfly a few yards away, still under the effects of powdered dragon root. As he began to hyperventilate, trying to find a way to get down there, the other riders turned up on their dragons quickly dismounting when they saw his distress. 

“Hiccup, what’s wrong? Is Toothless and Stormfly okay?” Fishlegs asked, coming over to him immediately. 

“Where’s Astrid?” questioned Snotlout as he went over to check Toothless and Stormfly. 

Hiccup gasped in air as the tears still fell, clutching his chest that was thudding so hard it felt like it was about to explode. The other riders looked more concerned now and were all coming over to him.

“Please tell me she’s not – that she's gone,” said Heather.

Hiccup turned his head to the opening of the volcano and they all gasped in realisation. “Did she fall – Hiccup calm down, just tell us what happened?” Heather said urgently, kneeling beside him. He still couldn’t seem to find the words, so she stood up and moved to the ledge, peering down into the molten depths. 

The other riders hold their breath as she scans the small number of islands at the bottom. She notices Viggo lying next to a pile of rocks, he shows no sign of moving. She turns her gaze to the pile of rocks beside him and gasps when she sees a pale arm sticking out of the rubble – Astrid’s arm. 

“Heather?” Fishlegs asked nervously. Heather turned back to the group and though she wished she could give them the answer they all wanted to hear, she couldn’t. She shook her head and they all cried out in disbelief, looking at each other with shocked expressions. 

“B – but Astrid can’t be gone! She’s Astrid.” Tuffnut shouted, head shaking with denial. 

Another tremor hit and the riders who were still standing were almost knocked off their feet. “Hiccup, we need to get out of here.” Fishlegs called out as the rest of the riders quickly climbed on their dragons. Hookfang and Windshear picked up an unconscious Toothless and Stormfly in their talons with the help of Barf and Belch and flew off the Volcano towards the campsite leaving Fishlegs, Dagur and Hiccup behind. 

“Hiccup please, we have to go!” begged Fishlegs, trying to lift the man to his feet. But Hiccup just couldn’t find the strength to move.

“Brother, I know you are grieving but please – we need to get out of here. This baby is going to blow any second!” Dagur yelled over the roar of another tremor, hoisting Hiccup up and dragging him over to Meatlug, lifting him onto the Gronkle. Fishlegs jumped in front of him and urged her off the volcano with Sleuther and Dagur behind them. 

“It’s all my fault Fishlegs.” Hiccup cried, “It’s all my fault.”

Fishlegs turned his head to look back at him. “Just hang on Hiccup, we are almost there okay.”

They landed at camp, and headed to the club house to formulate a plan to vacate the island if the volcano happens to fully erupt. There were no dragon hunters left now, most of them escaping on boats when the shellfire was destroyed, and the earthquakes had started. 

They all ran around the campsite, grabbing the most important things before heading back to the landing platform. It would be unlikely that the campsite would be destroyed but they needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Hiccup grabbed a few things out of his hut, his mind desperately trying to focus on the task at hand – anything other than what just happened. He reached his desk, grabbing his spare prosthetic that he had been working on when he noticed it. A small dragon carved out of wood. 

He breathed out slowly, picking it up and turning it over in his hands as the memory came back to him. 

_ “Are you sure you aren’t tired, Astrid?” he asked with amusement, bending over his desk again to work on the Dragon Eye.  _

_ “Nope, I like sitting here watching you work,” she replied, coming over next to him. She had just come back from night patrol and had seen that light was still coming from his hut. He gave her a smile and turned his attention back to the Dragon Eye while she headed over to sit on the hearth nearby. They fell into a comfortable silence and she took out her small dagger from her boot, using it to whittle a piece of wood from the stash next to the fireplace.  _

_ She let him work in silence without interruption which he was grateful for, the only sound being the scratching of her dagger. As soon as he finished, he turned to face her, seeing that she had fallen asleep on the hearth. He shook his head with a smile and went over to bend down in front of her, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. She startled awake but quickly relaxed when she saw it was him.  _

_ He used a hand to brush the blonde bangs away from her face as she gazed up at him sleepily. “A bit more tired than what you thought, huh?” he commented with a teasing tone.  _

_ She laughed lightly and then looked down at her hand which was holding something wooden. She held it up to him and he saw that it was a dragon carved out of wood – a night fury. He looked at it in amazement as she dropped it into his palm, holding it up to admire the detail.  _

_ “Wow Astrid, this is amazing! I didn’t know you could do that.” _

_ “Yeah, well there’s only so many times my axe can be sharpened,” she remarked with a grin, “it’s for you.” _

_ Hiccup’s eyes widened in surprise “Really, for me?”  _

_ She nodded and he gave her a bright smile in return, looking down at the wooden dragon fondly.  _

_ “Thank you, I love it,” he said sincerely. “Come on, I will walk you back to your hut.”  _

_ He hoisted her to her feet and together they left his hut hand in hand.  _

The tears started falling again as he came back to himself, the wooden dragon clutched firmly in his grasp like he’s afraid he will lose it– like he had lost her. 

He pocketed the dragon and headed back to the others; he needed to check on Toothless and Stormfly since they had still been unconscious when he had left them. As he approached the landing, he saw that Toothless was starting to wake, his head lifting groggily to look at his surroundings. Hiccup walked over to him and patted his scaly head causing the dragon to croon in reply when he saw his rider’s sad look, nudging him with his nose. 

“How are you doing, bud?” he asked, placing his forehead down to meet his. Toothless made another noise as though he could sense his grief but was confused all the same. Before Hiccup could say anything, there was a small squawk behind them and he looked over to see Stormfly getting to her feet slowly. The Deadly Nadder whirled around on the spot, calling out for her rider as everyone started to surround her. 

“Hiccup, what do we do?” Fishlegs questioned in a nervous voice, watching Stormfly pacing in front of them in distress. Hiccup swallowed hard at the sight, he honestly didn't know how to put it in words – didn’t want to say them out loud. They all stood there as the dragon started stamping her feet, looking even more frantic until Hiccup sighed and approached her. The Nadder lowered her head to look at him as he reached out to calm her. 

He stroked her horn to try and comfort her as he murmured, “I’m sorry Stormfly, but Astrid’s gone.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. It intensified even more when Stormfly threw her head back and roared into the skies, processing what he had just told her. The riders all stepped back as she extended her wings and launched into the sky towards the volcano without a second glance behind her. 

For a moment no one said anything but then another earthquake hit and they all realised they had no other choice but to leave Dragon’s Edge. Hiccup mounted Toothless and was about to lead the rest of them away when he turned back to see Stormfly circling the top of the volcano. 

“You guys go ahead, I’ll get Stormfly,” he told them, guiding Toothless around and launching into the sky.

As he approached the Nadder, he saw that she was attempting to fly into the volcano but was deterred from the lava shooting upwards. “Stormfly, come on. There is nothing you can do,” he shouted over the roar of the volcano.

The dragon ignored him, and he attempted to block her – to make her listen. “Stormfly please, I promise you we will come back but we need to leave, now.” The Nadder squawked at him angrily and Toothless warbled something back causing her to gaze back at the volcano mournfully. She then begrudgingly flew after them as a loud rumbling noise came from deep inside the volcanic crater.

He blinked back tears as Toothless crooned back at him with a concerned look, but Hiccup just shook his head and urged him on. Gazing back at the volcano as they flew further and further away, Hiccup couldn’t help but feel like he was leaving his heart behind him. 

***

Viggo regained consciousness when the ground rumbled beneath him, a warning sign that the volcano was reaching breaking point. His whole-body ached as he sat up, surveying the surroundings wearily. The heat from the lava was almost suffocating and he had to blink rapidly when the moisture in his eyes instantly dried up. He noticed the Dragon Eye sitting on another small rock, just reachable, but the angry sea of lava was bubbling dangerously. He managed to ignore his aching body’s protest at the overwhelming heat as he desperately reached out for the Dragon Eye. A second later Viggo was rearing back in pain, clutching the left side of his face as the skin melted beneath his shaking fingertips. Getting to his feet slowly, he removed his hand, finding himself blind in the left eye. Now completely enraged by the fact he was so close to having the Dragon Eye in his possession yet unable to due to the rising lava, he makes the decision to leave rather than get burnt alive; The Dragon Eye could withstand heat so he would come back for it later. 

He staggered towards the sides of the volcano, frantically searching for a vent that he may be able to escape through before it filled with lava. He saw one not far from where he stood and moved as quickly as he could through the pain in his legs and blistering face. 

A small moan made him freeze in his step and turned towards the sound. It came from a pile of rocks lying nearby, where a pale, slender arm was sticking out. Viggo paused, considering his options as he watched the hand belonging to Astrid twitch. She was obviously still alive despite falling into the crater and being crushed by the rocks that had previously formed the ledge that they had stood on when he had bartered her life with Hiccup. Part of him was impressed that Astrid had managed to survive the fall, but the other part wasn’t surprised, these dragon riders were hard to bring down and she was a fierce warrior. 

He approached the rocks and moved them with a grunt, revealing the blonde girl’s body; she is still clearly unconscious, and the blood matted in her hair and on the ground underneath indicated a nasty head injury. He pondered what to do, he could leave her to burn alive in this volcano; crush her head with a rock to put her out of her misery or bring her with him. Another vibration coursed through the volcano and Viggo makes his choice, lifting the girl up into his arms. Astrid gave a moan of pain and turned her head into him as he hurried over to the vent, he was glad that she was not overly heavy because he would have to hoist her into it before climbing up himself. 

They barely made it out and down the rocky ledge before a hissing sound came from the volcano and lava began to erupt from the vent, though luckily not in the direction where they were heading. Despite his aching limbs, he pressed on, stumbling every now and again due to only being able to see out of his right eye. 

He walked until they reached a small waterhole, lowering Astrid to the ground, before going over to splash his face with the cool water. The sting of the water hitting his burnt flesh made him hiss, and he has to force himself to splash it again. He drank from the waterhole and then returned to Astrid who was still unmoving in the same spot where he had left her. Turning her head slightly, Viggo searched for the wound in her blood, matted hair, finding a large lump on the back of her head with a split through the middle, oozing more blood as he inspected it closely. It was a nasty wound and he suspected that even though she was still alive – it could mean she would never be fully functional. 

Taking the kransen out of her hair and throwing it to the side, Viggo dragged her over to the water hole, supporting her neck as he washed the blood out of the blonde strands. It was difficult with her braid, but he managed to get most of it out. He scooped water up and pressed his hand up to her mouth, forcing water through her dry, cracked lips. This caused a small moan to escape as well as a frown to appear across her features. 

He lowered her back down and watched her for a moment, thinking about why he made the decision that he had. He concluded that she was the key to getting through to Hiccup and by the gods, Viggo was going to make him pay dearly for what he had done with the Dragon Eye. Hiccup would do anything for this girl and that was shown earlier when he had chosen her over the Dragon Eye. He could tell he loved her and that she shared the same feelings, and for some reason that made Viggo feel envious. He had never quite felt the same way about anyone before, nor had the same given to him. Sure, he desired people, Hiccup being one of them, but he had never been the marrying type. To him, love was weakness, his brother Ryker was probably the only exception up until he betrayed him. Now he had no one and perhaps this was why he had saved Astrid instead of leaving her to die. 

It wouldn’t matter though, if Astrid did finally wake, she would not be pleased to be in the company of him after he had held an axe to her throat, threatening her life in exchange for the Dragon Eye. But until then, she was the only company he had; he would just have to plan the rest later. Lying down, Viggo finally let himself fall asleep. 

A gasping noise startled him awake, and he saw that Astrid was now sitting up, holding the back of her head with a pained, confused expression. He observed her for a moment, waiting to see what her reaction would be when she noticed him. He didn’t need to wait long as her eyes quickly swept the surroundings and landed on him. Her eyes grew wide and instead of the cold, distrusting look he is normally given from her, there is confusion and perhaps even fear. 

“W…who are you?” she asked in a hoarse voice. He kept his face neutral as he scanned her’s for any signs of trickery but saw none. It was clear Astrid had no idea who he was, much less her whereabouts. A plan began to form in his mind as he realised that she had retrograde amnesia from the head injury, meaning she did not remember her past. 

“You know who I am, do you not recall, Astrid?”

She shook her head and winced, hand going up to touch the injury again. “No – what happened to me? Where am I?”

She began to breathe heavily, eyes wide as Viggo stands to approach her. “Calm down Astrid, you are safe here with me. You had a rather unfortunate run in with our enemies, and it would appear you have a head injury.” 

Astrid seemed to calm down at this but then looked back up at him with wariness. “You didn’t answer me before, who are you?”

“My name is Viggo Grimborn, I am your leader and you my dear are one of my most trusted warriors’.” 

She nodded at this and then shifted to stand up, holding her head while swaying on the spot. It almost looked as though she would pass out and Viggo wondered just how bad the concussion from this injury would be. 

“I don’t – I can’t remember anything,” Astrid cried in frustration. Viggo walked up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder while looking directly in her worried blue eyes. 

“Your name is Astrid and you happen to be a fearsome warrior who has assisted me with many great battles. This time, we failed but worry not. We will seek our revenge against these dragon riders if it is the last thing we do,” he reassured her. 

With a determined smile, she nodded her approval. “What do we do now?” 

“We get off this forsaken island and rally our allies. We will need more manpower to defeat these pesky dragon riders.” 

Satisfied with his answer, Astrid followed him through the forest, failing to see his wicked grin as he led the way towards the beach where an abandoned boat lay – most likely left from the dragon hunter attack. They pushed it out to waist length water and climbed in, slowly drifting away from the island without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm whumping the readers in this chapter and I'm sorry if it's depressing... I wanted to capture the emotions of Hiccup and the riders.

Hiccup and the rest of the gang returned to Dragon’s Edge the next morning to find that the Volcano had finally slowed its activity and the lava from the eruption had luckily avoided the camp. Dismounting their dragons, they quickly searched the area to ensure that no dragon hunters had remained and then met back at the clubhouse to discuss their next move. 

“What do we do now? It’s over, there is no Dragon Eye and Viggo is defeated so that means we could go home right?” asked Snotlout. The others murmured that he was right and then looked at Hiccup who was facing away from them, deep in thought. He could tell they were all exchanging worried glances at his silence, but he doesn’t turn to face them. Couldn’t bear to see their sympathetic looks like they had given him last night. They hadn’t known that he and Astrid had been together, except perhaps Heather but all of them had known how much she had meant to him. 

Sighing, Hiccup finally turned to face them, “You’re right, we don’t need to be here anymore. But do you want to leave?” 

The twins quickly exclaimed their desire to stay at the Edge and Fishlegs also expressed the same feelings. Snotlout doesn’t answer straight away but after seeing that everyone is staying, he too decided to remain at the Edge. Heather and Dagur announced that they would head back to Berserker island the next day after helping them tidy up here first. 

“So, it’s settled – We are staying here,” Hiccup announced. They all agreed and started to delegate jobs to get the Edge back to how it was before the Shellfire damaged it during the battle. Ruffnut and Tuffnut go to check the watchtowers to see if there were any repairs needing to be done and Snotlout goes to review the damage to the huts along with Dagur and Heather. That left Hiccup and Fishlegs alone. 

Fishlegs nervously cleared his throat and Hiccup glanced up at him. “Ah…Hiccup, I’ve been meaning to say but – Astrid’s parents need to know…about what happened.” 

Hiccup flinched as his heart gave a painful twinge at the mention of her name. He hadn’t even thought of letting her parents know – still didn’t want to accept the fact that she was truly gone. His fists balled as the tears threatened to spill but he kept them at bay, crying was not going to bring her back or change the fact that he was going to have to tell her parents that he failed to keep their daughter safe. 

“I will fly to Berk tonight and tell them – I just don’t think I can do it right now.” Hiccup said, and Fishlegs nodded in understanding. The young man came over, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze before leaving him to his thoughts. Hiccup was grateful for the space and slumped down at the table to place his head in his hands. The vision of Viggo holding Astrid against him with her own axe placed against her throat would be forever etched in his mind. 

He would never have chosen the Dragon Eye over her, despite her pleas to choose otherwise. But some selfish part of him wouldn’t let Viggo win and so he had thrown it into the volcano out of spite. Hiccup hadn’t known that Viggo would carry her over to the ledge while trying to reach the Dragon Eye as it sailed over their heads. He had hoped he would drop her first, but he hadn’t, and it was all his fault.

Hiccup sniffled and threw his fists down onto the table before getting up abruptly and walking out of the clubhouse. He was going to head to his own hut but found himself going to Astrid’s instead. The door to her hut was already open and inside was Dagur, Heather and Snotlout picking up debris off the floor. Snotlout was holding one of her maces that must have fallen from its hanging place on the wall, assessing it with a thoughtful look on his face. They all froze when he entered, waiting to see his reaction and he swallowed under their gaze. 

“Guys, do you think I can just have a minute please?” 

“Sure, take your time, brother,” Dagur told him, giving him a tight hug, “I know how much Astrid meant to you.” 

Snotlout and him both exited the hut, leaving Heather watching Hiccup with uncertainty. He pretended not to notice, choosing to look at the decorative array of weapons on the wall. 

“She cared for you a lot, Hiccup,” she commented after a while and he immediately tenses up at her words. 

“I know,” he answered numbly, throat tight. 

“I know nothing I can say will make you feel any better, but I am so sorry. Astrid was my best friend and I just can’t believe she’s gone – but you’ve lost your girlfriend.” 

Hiccup doesn’t even ask how she knew about them, to numb to feel anything apart from grief and guilt. “It’s all my fault Heather, Astrid told me she didn’t trust Viggo and I went along with his plan anyway. I ignored her concerns because I wanted to defeat Ryker. If I had listened, she would still be here.” 

Heather says nothing at first and he began to think that maybe she had left the hut while his back was turned. But then she spoke.

“Hiccup, she wouldn’t want you to feel guilty.”

“But I do! Nothing is going to bring her back. I have to live my life knowing that my actions killed the person that I lo…” he paused, the word on the tip of his tongue. The one he never got to say to her and now never would. The tears began to escape and he didn’t have the strength to hold them back, letting them fall freely onto the wooden floor underneath him. Heather crossed the room and hugged him, rubbing his back in a soothing motion. 

“I know you loved her. Anyone could see it. And believe me she loved you,” Heather pulled back, tears filling her own eyes as she left Hiccup standing alone in the hut. 

Hiccup wiped his eyes and climbed the stairs up to the fort where her bed was and lies down. Her scent immediately filled his nostrils, providing some comfort as he closed his eyes, imagining she is here with him right now. He thinks back to two days ago where they had been debating whether to trust Viggo in this very spot.

_ “Astrid, I know you don’t trust Viggo, I don’t either but what other choice do we have right now?” he sighed, running a hand through his hair as the angry blonde stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. _

_ “There has to be another way Hiccup. How do we know we aren’t just falling for another one of his mind games?” _

_ “I’m not sure, Astrid. I wish I knew another way, but we can’t keep letting them destroy islands with the Shellfire. We have to do this.”  _

_ Astrid made a frustrated noise and he reached for her hand that was bare from her cloth bracings and arm wrappings. He stroked over her knuckles, trying to ease the tension there and for a moment her features soften. _

_ “Stop trying to distract me Hiccup, I still don’t have a good feeling about this plan,” she huffed as he started placing gentle kisses on her knuckles instead.  _

_ “Wouldn’t do anything of the sort, milady,” he said cheekily, giving her one of his lopsided grins. She shook her head at this but gave him a smile back. He boldly pulled her forwards and for a moment she resisted, eyebrows raising at his attempts to woo her in a time like this.  _

_ She then rolls her eyes, allowing him to pull her between his legs, looping her arms loosely around his neck. For a moment she gazed down at him with a small smile and then bended to place her lips against his. He sighed into the kiss, hand quickly cupping her face and pulling her down to straddle him, deepening the kiss further. Hiccup was enjoying exploring this side of Astrid, the one that only he got to see in their rare moments of being alone. _

_ Even though they had kissed many times since becoming a couple a few weeks ago; Hiccup doesn’t think he will ever tire of kissing Astrid. They were still discovering the many ways they could be intimate with each other while keeping their relationship a secret from everyone else.  _

_ Astrid shifted as she took his bottom lip gently between her teeth, hands pulling at his leathers. Hiccup already feels his groin tighten underneath her as she begins to suck his bottom lip, causing him to whimper and clutch her waist.  _

_ “Hey, I thought I was supposed to be distracting you?” Hiccup complained and she snorted out a laugh.  _

_ “I’m not easily distracted, remember?” she quipped back while grinding herself down on him.  _

_ Hiccup groaned as she did this and realized that he needed to step up his game if he was to succeed in distracting her. He carefully leans back with her still on top of him before flipping so she was on her back instead. Astrid looked surprised for a moment but then grinned as he started pulling at the studded skirt and leggings. Finally succeeding at pulling them off and quickly discarding them on the floor; Hiccup straightened to appreciate the sight before him. A blush crept onto her cheeks as he took her in, and he knew that it was because she was still feeling self-conscious about this new stage of their relationship.  _

_ “You are amazing Astrid. So beautiful,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her sweetly, while one hand slid down her body in search of her warm core. She kissed him back eagerly, moaning against his mouth as his fingers found her already wet and wanting.  _

_ Hiccup slid his fingers through her slick folds, enjoying the way her cheeks became even more flushed and how she bit her lip as he circled his thumb around the small bundle of nerves. Sliding a finger into her, Hiccup then removed his thumb only to replace it with his mouth; sucking and licking at her clit as he moved his finger inside of her. Astrid let out a loud moan, throwing her head to the side as her fingers threaded through his hair to hold him there.  _

_ Hiccup smiled in triumph as she trembled underneath him, enjoying the little pants falling from her mouth as she became undone. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, he crawled back up her body, giving her a smirk.  _

_ “Two can play at this game,” she said slyly, cupping his hardness that was straining through the leathers of his pants. Hiccup couldn’t help but groan as she sat up, skilled fingers attacking his belt to free his length. But then she freezes her actions, pulling back to look at him with a shy expression.  _

_ “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked in a worried voice.  _

_ “I’m fine – it’s just I was thinking that maybe we could – you know?” she answered, waving a hand in the air as a blush highlighted her cheeks once again. _

_ “You mean – wait, are you sure you are ready for that?” Hiccup said, voice cracking slightly. He knew he was ready, but he hadn’t wanted to pressure her, especially when she was only just becoming comfortable with this new type of physical contact.  _

_ Astrid nodded and looked up with a determined expression upon her face, “I am. I want to be with you. Just in case we –” She doesn’t finish her sentence, but Hiccup knew what she meant. In case one of them didn’t make it during the battle. He doesn’t want to think about that though, so he just nodded and held her hand tighter.  _

_ Hiccup quickly realised something, “Wait, what about the risk of pregnancy. Not that I wouldn’t want to have children with you but it’s not exactly great timing?” _

_ Astrid looked thoughtful for a moment like she was counting something in her head, “It’s okay. I have at least 9 more days before that is likely anyway.”  _

_ Hiccup hesitated but then trusted that she knew her own body and leaned forward to kiss her, enjoying the feel of her lips against his. Astrid pulled at his leathers again and he helped her pull them off, finally allowing his erection to spring free.  _

_ “How – ah, I mean how do you want to do this?” he asked, clearing his throat nervously as she took him in her hand, giving a few teasing strokes.  _

_ Astrid didn’t answer, instead she pushed on his chest with her hand so that he would lean back slightly and he quickly obliged, watching eagerly as she moved to straddle him. Hovering above him, she held his length at her entrance and sank down slowly, gasping slightly as it met some resistance before sliding all the way in. Hiccup moaned, taking in the new sensation of her warm, wet heat surrounding his cock for the first time.  _

_ “Are you okay?” he managed to breathe out and Astrid nods wordlessly, placing her shaking hands on his shoulders for leverage. Upon hearing her confirmation, Hiccup wrapped an arm securely around her back to help balance her as he started thrusting upwards gently, mindful to be careful since she was still adjusting to the new sensation. Astrid clutched his shoulders harder, panting slightly as she leaned her forehead on his and rocked her hips to meet his upward thrusts. _

_ It didn’t take long for Hiccup to feel the familiar tightening in his balls and he gritted his teeth to try and hold on longer until Astrid finished. He brought his hand to their joining and rubbed at her clit, sucking at her neck in the way he knew she liked, hoping that it would help push her over the edge - and it does. With gasping moans that echo around the hut, Astrid’s body seized up before she fell apart completely, body spasming as she grinded down on him to prolong her pleasure. The feeling of her quivering walls and the sight alone helped bring Hiccup to his own finish and he spilled inside of her with a loud groan, holding her tight against him.  _

_ It took them a few moments to catch their breath before they attempted to untangle themselves, lying back on the bed and facing each other, with identical smiles.  _

_ “That was amazing,” Astrid breathed out, eyes twinkling. _

_ “It was,” agreed Hiccup, lacing his fingers through hers. “But did it help distract you?”  _

_ “It did,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I still don’t trust Viggo.”  _

_ Hiccup nodded and squeezed her hand, “Do you trust me though?” _

_ Astrid’s eyes widen at this, “Of course I do.”  _

_ “Then I need you to trust me on this. We need to defeat Ryker and the Shellfire before it’s too late and the only way to do that is if Viggo is helping us.”  _

_ Astrid sighed and looked up at the ceiling, nodding – her hand coming to rest on his bare chest while her fingers lazily traced the shape of a heart overtop of his own beating one.  _

The smile that had been upon Hiccup’s face at the memory faded as her words echoed in his head. She had trusted him that this plan of his would work and in the end, it had cost her life. With tears sliding down his cheeks, Hiccup curls into a ball, apologising to her repeatedly. “I’m sorry Astrid, I should have trusted you. You were right – I’m so sorry.” 

***

“Guys, where is Hiccup?” Tuffnut called out to Snotlout and Dagur who were busy fixing Snotlout’s hut.

“He is still in Astrid’s hut,” Snotlout replied, handing a hammer to Dagur so that he could finish nailing the boards back on the side of the hut. Tuffnut nodded and re-entered the stables where Heather and Ruffnut were standing, looking into the pen that contained Stormfly. 

“She still won’t eat anything,” Ruffnut informed him, folding her arms. The Deadly Nadder had turned her nose up at breakfast and lunch which was causing the trio to become concerned. 

“She will be mourning Astrid,” Heather answered with a sigh. “Come on Stormfly, you need to eat something. Here, I’ve brought chicken.” She threw the drumstick into the pen, ignoring Tuffnut’s protests about not eating the white meat in front of his pet chicken. 

Stormfly turned her head to look at the drumstick before tucking her head back under her wing, ignoring it entirely. 

“Well it was worth a shot,” Ruffnut stated as Heather’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Maybe Hiccup will know what to do?”

“We will mention it to him soon. I think he just needs some time alone right now.” 

The trio exited the stables and headed to the clubhouse where the others were already waiting for them. Hiccup was still nowhere to be seen but they didn't question his whereabouts and instead discussed ideas for a funeral for Astrid. 

***

When Hiccup still didn’t turn up after a few hours, they all decided to look for him. They tried Astrid’s hut first and creeped up the stairs, hushing each other when they came upon his sleeping form on her bed. Toothless had already found him and was curled up on the floor next to the bed, watching them with one eye open. 

“Should we wake him?” Tuffnut whispered. 

“We might need to; it’s getting late and he will have to head to Berk soon.” Fishlegs answered quietly. 

He moved forward and tapped Hiccup gently on the shoulder, causing him to jump awake, red rimmed eyes blinking as he focused on the group standing in front of him. 

“Sorry Hiccup, but it’s getting late and I know you wanted to head off soon,” said Fishlegs nervously. Hiccup sat up, nodding while rubbing his eyes. 

“We also wanted to do something special for Astrid – to say goodbye,” Heather added. Hiccup nodded again, not trusting his voice to give a verbal answer. “We could do it soon… before you leave for Berk.” Heather offered. 

“Sounds good,” Hiccup said, deadpan as he walked past them and down the stairs. The group followed a few steps behind as he left the hut and looked up at the volcano that towered overhead. 

“Okay, how about now?” Hiccup asked, eyes not leaving the volcano. The others murmured their agreement and hurried off to get their dragons, leaving Hiccup to mount Toothless and wait. They all flew to the volcano and landed just shy of the crater, coming to stand in a line once everyone had dismounted. 

Each grabbed the hands of those next to them, bowing their heads as they all said in unison:

**“Lo, there do I see my father, my mother, my sisters and brothers. Lo there, do I see the line of my people back to the beginning. Lo they do call to me. They bid me to take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla! Where the brave shall live forever.”**

They stand there in silence for a few moments, looking down into the bubbling lava and Hiccup felt his heart constrict with the knowledge that her body will never be able to be recovered. He felt Fishlegs squeeze his hand before retreating to Meatlug, the others also beginning to move away, except for Ruffnut who remained beside him, hand still in his. 

“You know Hiccup – Astrid and I may not have been best friends, but I will never forget what she did for me back when I first decided to come out as female,” Ruffnut said and Hiccup slowly turns his head to look at her intently. “Do you remember when I first came out as female, and some Berkians thought it was weird and still refused to call me a girl, until the Chief made a formal announcement stating that I was officially one. But there were still those other girls at the hot springs who said I wasn’t allowed to come and bathe with them because it was supposed to be female only and that because I didn’t have girl parts that meant I couldn’t. It made me feel so...bad, but Astrid told them to all shut up and then made room for me to sit next to her. She might have been grumpy and bossy, but she was loyal and a good friend and I’ll never forget how she made me feel valid at that particular moment.” 

Ruffnut then gave him a small smile before trudging over to Barf and Belch where Tuffnut was waiting, leaving him to say goodbye alone. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup knelt to the ground, extending one finger to draw a love heart in the ash that covered the ledge from the eruption, murmuring “My heart is, and always will be yours, Astrid Hofferson.” And then he stands, throat tight as he walks back to Toothless, leaving his heart behind forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter could almost be considered the honey before the hatchet. Also if anyone notices any mistakes please let me know, I try and proof read it but I'm mostly writing late at night and tiredness can get the better of me ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Astrid winced as the healer searched around her unbound hair, looking for the wound there. She gasped lightly when she found it, her fingers prodding the tender flesh while tutting in disapproval. 

“This is a serious head injury,” the healer stated sharply. “How did you say this happened?” 

Astrid’s eyes shot up to meet Viggo’s from where he stood in the corner, arms folded and looking slightly perturbed at the healer’s words. “As we already told you, she suffered a great fall during battle,” he answered simply. “Now if you would be so kind as to patch my warrior up or provide the necessary treatment so we can be on our way, that would be lovely.” 

The healer shook her head, moving away from Astrid to inspect her table that contained various herbs and items. “This is not something I can just patch up Mr – “

“Grimborn,” Viggo offered. 

“Mr Grimborn – this head injury is one of the worst I’ve ever seen during my years as a healer. No wonder this girl has lost her memory, and I would be very surprised if it ever fully returned.” 

A look of relief appeared on Viggo’s face at her words, but the healer was facing away from him and didn’t notice this. But Astrid did, she wondered why he would want her to have no memories, was he not telling her something? Before she could think too much on his reaction, the healer came back towards her with some sort of paste and began applying it to the back of her head. 

Astrid bit back the pain of having the wound touched and instead focused on Viggo who was still watching them intently. His gaze was almost unsettling to her, as though he was someone she should fear not follow. But because she had no recollections of her past, Astrid would have to rely on him and trust his judgement. 

“All done,” the healer said, pushing Astrid’s thick blonde hair over one shoulder and putting the paste away. 

“Excellent, now when will she be battle ready?” Viggo asked, moving forward. The healer whirled around, eyebrows raised at his question as though the answer should be obvious. 

“Battle ready? This woman cannot be in battle or engage in any dangerous activities – another hit to the head and she could be dead,” the healer said, sounding slightly appalled. 

Viggo absorbed this and turned to look at Astrid, “Well my dear, your usefulness appears to have come to an end.”

Astrid’s heart sank, if he didn’t want her then where would she go, who would have her? “I’m fine, seriously, and no one is going to get close enough to hit me in the head anyway,” she said confidently.

Viggo chuckled lightly, “Yes, I wouldn’t think you would willingly let anyone near you. Perhaps we can…ease you into it.”

The healer threw her hands up in the air, muttering something under her breath. “And what about your burns? I’m assuming you want me to treat those?” 

“That would be ideal, yes,” Viggo answered with a tight smile and the healer quickly turned back to the workbench to mix some more paste while he took the seat that Astrid had occupied. 

The healer examined the burnt flesh, rubbing the paste on it before moving on to his eye. “Hmm, can you see out of this eye?” she asked him, and he shook his head. “I didn’t think so. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do that will help you regain your sight.” 

Viggo sighed in disappointment, clearly this was not what he had been wanting to hear. Astrid gave him a sympathetic look as he stood from the chair, thanking the healer for her time before beckoning for her to follow him. Astrid did as she was ordered, following him out of the hut and into the street that was filled with village folk. 

“Come Astrid, we must go to my own hut and retrieve a few things before we leave again,” Viggo informed her, walking in long strides that Astrid struggled to keep up with. She wanted to ask what the items were, but something told her it was best not to ask and instead she followed him in silence. They came to a rather large hut on the outskirts of the village and Astrid knew right away that this would be his. Many flowers surrounded the exterior of the hut and mounted on the roof was a sculpture of a dragon. As they came closer, Astrid realised that the sculpture had daggers embedded throughout the entire body. The front door to the hut had a blood red fist imprinted on it, clearly something that resembled Viggo’s family and Astrid became more and more intrigued with the history behind these symbols. 

Viggo opened the door and stepped aside to allow Astrid to enter first, watching as she took in the surroundings. The interior of the hut was even more impressive, with large fur rugs covering the floors and dragon heads mounted on the walls. There were also shelves holding different sorts of weapons, each one encrusted with various coloured gemstones. 

Astrid ran her finger along one of the shelves, collecting the dust that had gathered there before blowing it off. Viggo stood to the side, hands behind his back as he watched her survey the weapons on the wall.

“See anything you fancy?” he asked.

“A lot actually,” Astrid answered, taking a dagger from its holder and inspecting the sharpness of it by pressing the tip into her index finger. A small bead of blood formed there, and she sucked it off, tongue swiping the wound and tasting the rich, metallic flavour. A clunking sound in the next room startled them both, and they exchanged confused looks. There was another crash, even louder than the previous one and the sound of someone cursing. Astrid gripped the dagger tightly in her hand, tip toeing to the closed door where the sound was coming from. 

She paused and turned back to look at Viggo who had also moved closer, he gave her a nod to proceed and she wrenched the door open. The man in the room yelled in fright and fell backwards as Astrid leapt at him, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there. She pressed the dagger against his throat, feeling the pulse quicken as the cool metal threatened to pierce his skin. 

“Who are you and why are you here?” Astrid growled at the trembling man. 

“I’m Lars! This is the home of my cousins – please don’t kill me!” he cried. Astrid spun her head around to where Viggo was now standing, looking down at the man before him in contempt. The man – Lars, gasped in shock when he noticed Viggo standing there, his eyes bulging as though he was the last person he expected to be there. 

“V – Viggo, I thought you were dead – the other hunters, they said both you and Ryker were dead.” 

Viggo chuckled lightly, kneeling beside him where he was still pinned under the mercy of Astrid and the dagger. “No dear cousin, you are sorely mistaken. While Ryker has met his unfortunate end, I on the other hand have not. I am curious as to why you are here though?” 

Lars made a choking noise and squirmed underneath Astrid’s hold; she pressed the dagger harder against his throat and he immediately stilled as a few trickles of blood began to seep from the shallow cut. 

“I believe he asked you a question?” Astrid said, lifting the dagger slightly to ease the pressure so Lars could reply. 

“I –I, we – came here to get some things,” he choked out. Viggo hummed and looked around the room where more weapons and treasured items were displayed. His eyes landed on a small table in the middle of the room where a large brass holder sat atop of it, there was nothing in the holder, but Astrid gathered that the missing object was something of importance. 

“Where is it?” Viggo said, getting to his feet and striding over to the empty holder, “WHERE IS IT?!” 

Lars squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered in fear as Viggo stormed back over, grabbing a handful of his hair in his fist. 

“I will ask you again, where is the sword Lars,” Viggo asked, voice dangerously low. 

Lars gulped audibly, “They took it – the other hunters did. They wanted to sell it at the Northern Markets to see how much they could get for it.” Viggo growled at this, jaw tensing as his grasp on Lars’ hair tightened. 

“And you let them? Despite knowing that it was a family heirloom passed down from my grandfather and of significance to the House of Grimborn?” 

Lars nodded, whimpering again as Astrid increased the pressure of the dagger. “I thought both you and Ryker were dead, so I told them to take it, I didn’t think Viggo. Please forgive me.”

“Forgiveness is not something I am willing to give traitor’s, Lars, even if they are…family,” Viggo told him with a dangerous smile. Lars’ eyes widened in realisation as Viggo released his hair, giving Astrid a firm nod before moving back to stand. 

His face instantly paled, “V –Viggo, no please, please – I can help you get it back if you let me live.”

Astrid turned to look at Viggo, eyebrow raised in question, but he just shook his head. She returned her gaze to Lars, who was almost hyperventilating with fear, a plea in his frightened grey, blue eyes as she adjusted her grip on the handle of the dagger. He opened his mouth to say something, but she swiftly slashed his throat. Hot, sticky blood began gushing out immediately, pooling underneath Lar’s twitching body as his life slowly drained out of him. 

Astrid kept her eyes locked on his until they glazed over, and his body went limp. She then stood up, brushing off her top and wiping the blade on his shirt before turning to Viggo who was watching her with an amused look. 

“Well done my dear,” he commented with pride. “Now why don’t you go and get yourself cleaned up, when we get to the Northern Markets, we can purchase you some new clothes – you’ve deserved it.” 

Astrid nodded, thankful for the opportunity to clean the dirt and blood off her clothes and skin. He gave directions on how to get to the washroom and Astrid was able to quickly find it as well as somewhere to get the water from so that she could fill the tub up. Lighting a fire underneath the tub to warm the water, she began to peel her clothes off wincing as her aching muscles protested with the movements. Glancing down, she noticed that her body was covered in dark bruises almost everywhere. She had been in extreme pain while travelling to the island and even more so when they arrived, but the healer had given her a brew that had helped numb it slightly. Now it was obvious as to why she had been in so much pain. 

The throbbing at the back of her head was still there though and it was starting to make her feel slightly nauseous. This feeling increased when she bent over to pull her leggings and boots off, making her sway and hold onto the wall for support.  _ Pull yourself together, Astrid! _ She thought to herself angrily. 

Gritting her teeth, Astrid climbed into the bath and laid back, sighing as the hot water soothed the aching muscles and cleansed her sweaty skin that was stained with blood and dirt. As she relaxed, the heat of the water began to make her feel drowsy and she found herself fighting to stay awake. It became a losing battle when her eyes began to droop, until eventually they fully closed, her mind now oblivious to the fact she was slowly sinking under the water. 

She vaguely heard someone calling out her name but paid it no mind, instead allowing the much-needed sleep to consume her. It was a happy place here, she felt free and there was no pain. A silhouette of a rather tall person then appeared in her mind and she tried to focus on them, noticing that they didn’t seem to have a face. They held out their hand as though wanting her to take it but before she could react, they suddenly vanished. 

Two hands roughly grabbed round Astrid’s already tender shoulders and hauled her upwards causing her to startle awake and splutter. She rubbed her eyes and an angry Viggo came into view, scowling at her bewildered expression. 

“Foolish girl! You could have drowned! What on earth were you doing?” he asked angrily. Astrid quickly attempted to cover herself upon realising that he was standing over her naked form, desperately trying to find the words to explain. 

“I – I was just –“ 

“Never mind, get out and dress yourself, we need to leave for the Northern Markets before nightfall,” he grumbled and threw her something to dry herself with. Astrid stood up on wobbly legs, wrapping herself in the large piece of fabric before stepping out of the tub. She found herself avoiding meeting Viggo’s eyes while she dried off; since she had no recollection of what their past relationship was, it was hard to determine what his motives with her were. But as he made no further comment while she got dressed, she assumed he obviously didn’t desire her in that way. It almost made her feel oddly disappointed, but she reminded herself that she was a warrior not a maiden. 

Once she was fully dressed and hair tied back in a loose side braid, Viggo then told her to choose a weapon to take, stating that they would need it on this journey. She felt giddy while browsing the many weapons before finally settling on a double axe that was encrusted with purple gemstones in the wooden handle. 

“An excellent choice, you were always partial to the axe,” Viggo said, passing over a folded garment. Astrid took it, looking slightly confused until she opened it to find that it was a hooded cloak. He watched as she assessed the garment. “I thought it was best that you keep yourself hidden while on this mission. You have made a lot of enemies and there are some who would be happy to see you dead.” 

Astrid nodded, putting the cloak around her and fastening it at the front. “These people that would like to see me dead – do they have names by any chance?” 

Viggo hummed in thought, “We dragon hunters refer to them as the dragon riders; They are a group of six – well five as one has since perished, and they are led by a young man called Hiccup.” 

Astrid frowned at the name, surely that was a nickname and not the man’s real one. “And do we want these dragon rider’s dead?” 

“Yes and no, I have something special planned for their leader,” Viggo smiled, with a savage look in his eyes that made Astrid suppress a shiver. “Now let’s go.”

They exited the hut and wandered back down the path towards the docks where a few larger boats were currently anchored. Astrid followed along behind Viggo; the new axe clasped firmly in her hand. She had also decided to keep the dagger that she had used to slay Lars and stored it in the leather pouch that was attached to the waistband of her skirt. 

Viggo stopped abruptly, almost causing Astrid to walk into the back of him. He turned and reached behind her, pulling the hood of the cloak up so that her whole head and face was hidden in the shadows. “It is better that you stay hidden from now – do not speak to anyone unless I have given you permission to do so. Do you understand, Astrid?” 

“Yes,” she replied.

“Yes what?” Viggo growled. Astrid blinked, shrugging her shoulders to indicate that she didn’t understand. “Yes, sir.”

“Yes sir,” Astrid repeated and he removed his hands from the cloak, looking satisfied at her obedience. They continued their way and approached a tall, stocky man who was loading some boxes on his boat. Viggo cleared his throat when the man came back to get another box, but he ignored them, carrying on with his current task. Viggo scowled at this, and Astrid moved forward, raising her axe to bring it down so that it was embedded in the box that the man was about to pick up. 

“Woah, what in the name of Thor!” He cried out, jerking his hands back. “What did you do that for?!” 

“I believe my warrior didn’t appreciate your attempts to ignore us and took matters into their own hands,” Viggo answered in amusement. 

The man looked between them incredulously, “Sorry but you are out of luck because I’m not willing to part with any of this merchandise – I am taking it to the Northern Markets to sell.” 

“Oh, it is not your merchandise that we are after,” Viggo chuckled, “Conveniently, we are looking for transport across these seas to the Northern Markets.” 

The man seemed to relax at these words. “Of course, although it will cost you.”

Viggo scoffed, “And what is your price.”

“Those rings on your fingers look pretty expensive, how about one of those?”

Astrid glanced down at Viggo’s hand where he wore several rings, there was one that looked like it was made from pure gold and would obviously be worth quite a lot. Viggo hesitated for a moment before pulling a darker coloured ring off one of his fingers. He passed it to the man who accepted it eagerly and held it up to the sunlight to inspect it closely. 

“That will do,” the man said, happily. “Welcome aboard, the name is Thuggory by the way.” 

“Viggo, and this is…Camicazi.” 

Astrid frowned at the name but didn’t say anything like she had been instructed. She waited for Viggo and Thuggory to board the boat first before following them up the ramp, remaining close by as they engaged in small talk. As the boat began to slowly move away from the dock and towards their destination, Astrid decided to find a spot to sit and inspect her new axe. Running her finger along the sharp edge of the blade, she imagined how it would look embedded in a target. She found herself eager to use it against her first victim – part of her hoping it would be one of those dragon riders - maybe even their leader, Hiccup. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to who the sillhouette was?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait in updating, but here is a new chapter. Also just a note, but I write in NZE not American, hence why some grammar may be different, e.g. colour instead of color.

Hiccup walked away from the Hofferson house, wiping the tears that were cascading down his face. He knew that it was going to be hard telling them the news, but when the time actually came, he couldn’t even say the words. He just stood there, crying while Mrs Hofferson pulled him into a bone crushing embrace. She had asked him what was wrong, and where Astrid was, but he couldn’t bear to say it out loud. In the end he didn’t have to, for she knew immediately when looking at his grief stricken face that her only daughter was gone. 

Hiccup had managed to choke out an apology before turning and walking away from the howling woman. Her wails of despair carried in the silent air, haunting him with every step he took. He was grateful that Mr Hofferson had not been home to hear the news of his daughter. He didn't think he could handle the disappointment in the man's eyes, knowing that he had trusted him to look after his daughter yet she had died because of his actions. 

Hiccup walked over to where Toothless was waiting and quickly climbed into the saddle. He knew he should probably tell his dad what had happened, but right now he just wanted to be alone. He would pay for it later, especially if the Hofferson’s told him first, but Hiccup found himself not caring. A lecture from Stoick was the last thing he wanted. 

Toothless took to the sky, maneuvering around the huts of Berk before flying towards the sea. 

“What do you say we go visit the cove before we head back, bud?” Hiccup asked and Toothless warbled in agreement, veering off to the side and in the direction of the cove. 

They reached the small cove and Toothless glided down onto the sand, lowering himself so Hiccup could climb off easily. 

“Thanks bud,” Hiccup said, scratching under the dragon’s neck. Toothless cooed at him in response and watched as he slumped down against a nearby rock. The very rock that Astrid perched upon when she had ambushed them four years ago. Hiccup swallowed hard at the memory of how she had sat there, sharpening the axe and ready to interrogate him for his success in dragon training. 

The events that followed were like a blur, but one memory stood out from all the rest. How she had pressed her cheek to his shoulder as they both admired Berk from the air and then the kiss to his own cheek when she thanked him for everything else. Hiccup’s heart had never felt so full in that moment - to know that she had trusted him enough to keep their secret even if it went against everything she had been taught about dragon’s. And ever since then she had stuck by his side, loyal and supportive, which he had sometimes taken for granted. 

Toothless nudged him again, a look of concern on his face when he noticed Hiccup’s vacant expression.

“I’m okay, bud. Really, I just--I was just thinking,” he assured him. “Let’s head back now though, the others will be waiting for us.”

Hiccup stood back up with difficulty and mounted Toothless again,not entirely willing to leave the cove that held so many memories. But he knew he couldn’t stay here forever, so he gave Toothless a nudge and they headed back into the vast sky above them. 

The flight back to the Edge was rather calm and uneventful compared to what Hiccup had become accustomed to during the last few months. There were no threats of dragon hunter ships shooting at them from below or dragonised weapons that could destroy whole islands. Hiccup found a part of him that hated it, hated knowing that this freedom came with such a sacrifice. A bitter part of him wished the dragon hunters were still around, that Viggo was still alive and that none of the events at the volcano had happened. He wished Astrid was still alive, and here with him now, riding beside him on Stormfly as usual. 

A boat in the distance suddenly caught his attention and Hiccup squinted to see its occupants. He could barely make out a hooded figure standing at the bow of the boat, looking up into the sky where they were flying. It was clear that the boat was just a merchant ship carrying items for trade and nothing to be overly weary of. So he pulled his gaze away and directed Toothless on, not giving the boat a second glance. 

*** 

Astrid stood at the front of the boat, observing the open sea with boredom. They had been sailing for a day now and she was becoming more and more irritable. Thuggory literally hounded her at every second, asking her so many questions which she didn’t know the answer to. And it bothered her that she didn’t know where she was born, who her parents were or what her last name was. She didn’t remember any of it and Viggo also didn’t know, so she was left with a giant void. 

And now her name had even changed, to Camicazi. Viggo had been adamant that it was a precautionary measure, but it made Astrid feel even more confused. How was she supposed to regain her memories if things kept changing. 

Astrid continued her brooding until something approaching in the sky made her quickly lift her hood up. It was moving towards the boat at quick speed and as it grew nearer, she was able to see that it was a black dragon, with a person on top. _ A dragon rider!  _ She thought, angrily. 

Astrid considered going and getting Viggo, but he had specifically asked not to be disturbed. There would be no point in telling Thuggory, he would be no help. So Astrid stood there, watching as the dragon and its rider came closer while hate sparked inside of her. 

Even though the sun made it difficult to see the rider, Astrid could tell that they were observing the boat carefully, as though they were considering their next move. Something was vaguely familiar about this dragon and the rider atop of it and she tried to discern whether or not this was a good or a bad thing. Judging by what Viggo had told her, she would go with the latter. 

_ Would they attack? _ She wondered to herself. They certainly had no defence if they did, and Astrid’s axe and dagger would be useless against this flying creature in the sky. All she could do was hope that they decided to fly past without investigating further. 

She held her breath as the dragon hovered for a moment and then released it when it took off, obviously losing interest. Astrid watched as it flew further and further away until it disappeared upon the horizon.

“Was that a dragon that just flew overhead?” Thuggory called out behind her. Astrid nodded, not even bothering to turn around or acknowledge him further. This didn’t deter Thuggory though and he came over to stand next to her, glancing up at the sky. Astrid shot him an irritated look but he didn’t notice, just kept scanning the sea around them. 

“It will be a few more hours until we reach the Northern Markets, why don't you go and get some rest, Cami - I can call you Cami right?” He said, and asked cheerfully. 

Astrid shot him a glare but decided to follow the suggestion of getting rest. She was feeling rather tired after all and hadn’t slept well since waking up after the volcano incident. The pulsing headaches were the main cause, along with the dreams of a faceless, tall, lanky figure. The figure would never do anything other than hold its hand out towards her, as though asking her to take it. Astrid always found this rather odd, but she never mentioned it to Viggo. She didn’t want him to view her as weak or crazy for having visions of a faceless person. 

The thought of having some rest was nice though, so Astrid headed down to the cabins. She had expected to see Viggo still sleeping in the corner but instead she found that he was sitting up, looking at a figure piece in his hand. He looked up when she approached, and patted the furs next to him. She hesitated, wondering what his intentions were but then decided it would be best to accept the offer. He was obviously not interested in her in that way, as he had shown the day before. 

Astrid couldn’t help but be a little disappointed, was it because he didn’t find her attractive, or maybe because he saw her as something other than a potential lover. She also considered that perhaps he preferred the company of a male lover instead. Clearing these thoughts with a shake of her head, Astrid approached him. 

“How are you feeling?” Viggo asked, as she sat down next to him. 

“Fine, my head doesn’t hurt as much anymore,” Astrid answered, folding her legs to get comfortable. 

“Excellent. You will be back to full health in no time,” said Viggo. 

Astrid nodded, looking down at the figurine that was clasped in Viggo’s hand. 

“What’s that?” She asked, curiously. Viggo smiled, turning the figure around in his hand. 

“This is called the Accomplice. It is a piece in the game, Maces and Talons.”

Astrid tried to give the impression that she knew exactly what Maces and Talons were but clearly she wasn’t convincing enough. Viggo chuckled at her expression, handing the piece over so that she could observe it for herself. It was holding a smooth shield in one hand, and a short sword in the other, indicating that it was clearly a warrior of some sort. 

“The accomplice is one of the pawns to the Viking Chief piece, which is this one here,” Viggo told her, handing her another piece. Astrid took it and examined it closely, this one had two single head axes crossed in front of it.

“So...the Accomplice is like the Viking Chief’s warrior?” Astrid questioned, hoping that she had understood correctly. To her relief, Viggo nodded. 

“You are correct, yes,” he answered. “There are approximately six Accomplices.” 

“Interesting,” Astrid said, handing them back. “You might have to teach me to play sometime, or perhaps teach me again if I knew before but can’t remember now, for obvious reasons.” She joked, then immediately wondered why she did when obviously it wasn’t something to joke about, especially when the healer had stated that she might never regain her memories. 

“Oh, don’t worry my dear, I certainly will be teaching you to play again.”

He gave her that smile that made her feel uneasy, almost like he knew something she didn’t. He also made no comment on her joke. Feeling awkward, Astrid turned her gaze downward, and suddenly remembered something.

“I forgot to tell you, but when you were asleep, a dragon rider passed over the boat.”

Viggo tensed for a moment, the smile fading from his face as he absorbed the news. 

“Were you wearing your hood?” He asked, staring off into the distance. 

“Yes, I pulled it up when I saw them approaching.”

“Excellent - But what about the dragon? What colour was it, did you see what the rider looked like?”

Astrid shook her head, “It was a black dragon, not overly big but it was fast. I didn’t see the riders face, the glare from the sun made it difficult.”

Viggo looked thoughtful for a moment but said nothing more. Instead he put a hand on her face, tilting it to the side so he could inspect the back of her head where the wound was still healing. He hummed as his fingers brushed over the sensitive bit, causing her to wince. 

“It appears to be looking better,” Viggo remarked. “Try and get some sleep before we dock, you will need your strength for what is to come.” 

Astrid nodded, lying down on the furs and wriggling to get comfortable. It was certainly no bed, but it would do for now. As her eyes began to grow heavy, she wondered whether the faceless person would be visiting in her dreams again, and if they would actually speak. Before she could ponder on it too much, the gentle rocking of the boat ended up lulling her to sleep quicker than what she had expected. 

***

_ Astrid found herself standing on a beach, overlooking the sea as the waves crashed onto the shore. The sun was almost setting, creating the illusion of a fire in the sky.  _

_ A dark blue dragon came to stand next to her, giving a gentle trill as though it was greeting her. Astrid expected to be afraid, but she wasn’t. She felt like she knew this dragon from somewhere. She reached up and stroked the dragon’s horn, grinning when it made a purring sound and cocked its head. The dragon scampered away for a moment, picking up a long, narrow branch nearby in its mouth and returning to Astrid. The dragon dropped the branch at her feet, giving her an expectant look. Astrid laughed, and picked it up before throwing it in the other direction. The dragon took off, catching the branch before it had even hit the ground. The sight of a rather large dragon playing fetch made her double over with laughter.  _

_ Before she could throw the branch again, a voice called out her name making her whirl around in surprise. Someone was walking towards her, hand raised in greeting and Astrid felt her heart speed up at the sight of them. She still couldn’t see their face, but this time she could see their hair more clearly. It was rather long and scraggly and auburn in colour.  _

_ “Astrid? I’ve been looking for you, it’s almost dinner time,” the voice said, and she noticed it was slightly nasally. Her eyes wandered over the faceless figure, drinking in the sight of them. They were wearing a red-orange tunic with brown leather armour and dark reddish brown pants.  _

_ “Astrid?” the faceless person asked again, and their hands came to rest on her shoulder pauldrons. “You okay?” _

_ Astrid swallowed and tried to make out their face or any features, but it was just a blur.  _

_ “I’m fine - but who are you?”  _

_ The faceless person starts laughing, and takes her hand gently.  _

_ “What are you talking about, you know who I am.” _

_ “No...no I don’t,” Astrid said, shaking her head. The person squeezes her hand that’s still clasped in their own, bringing it to their chest and cradling it there.  _

_ “It’s me... H- _

“Yo Cami! Wake up, Viggo said I needed to come and get you. We’re here.”

Astrid blinked her tired eyes, her vision bleary for a moment, and looked up to see Thuggory’s large unappealing frame standing over her, offering his hand to pull her up. She ignored it and sat up to rub at her eyes instead, swaying slightly when the pulsing pain in her head returned. 

“You okay?” asked Thuggory, his tone laced with concern. Astrid nodded, wincing when it caused the pain to become worse followed by sudden nausea. Her stomach churned uncomfortably as the nausea increased, and she threw the furs off to crawl on all fours to a nearby bucket. Clutching the bucket in both hands, she hunched over and vomited violently into it.

“Ah, okay then...I’ll just leave you to do...that, and I’ll tell Viggo you will be up soon,” Thuggory said quickly, retreating backwards. 

Astrid tried to answer but another wave of vomit hit and she couldn’t reply. She retched, again and again until she almost collapsed with exhaustion. Finally, the nausea seemed to subside and Astrid wiped her watery eyes and mouth, grimacing at the contents in the bucket. She quickly disposed of it and collected her axe so that she could join Viggo and Thuggory who were waiting on deck.

“Well look who decided to finally grace us with her presence,” Viggo commented smoothly, taking in her appearance with disapproval. “You look awful, my dear, it would seem the sleep did the complete opposite of reviving your strength.”

“I’m fine - Just got a bit seasick is all,” she replied, casting her eyes down so that she didn’t have to see the careless look in his eyes. 

“As luck would have it, we have arrived at the Northern Markets so you will no longer have to worry about seasickness,” Viggo replied, gesturing for her to climb onto the docks beside the boat. Astrid did so, and waited for Viggo and Thuggory to join her. 

“Thank you for your service Thuggory, it was most appreciated,” Viggo said lightly, patting the burly man on his shoulder. 

“Ah, it was no problem at all,” Thuggory answered cheerfully and waved them on. Astrid could feel his eyes on her as she walked past him but she refused to make eye contact with him. 

They left Thuggory to unload his ship and went straight to the main markets where a few stalls were set up. It was relatively quiet and Astrid noticed that a lot of stall keepers looked perturbed. 

Viggo stopped walking, holding up his hand for her to pause as well. He scanned the stalls and pointed to one on the far left. 

“This one looks perfect,” he said, leading Astrid to it. “Are you ready to pick your new clothes, Astrid?” 

Astrid nodded, feeling intrigued as to what type of clothes there would be. She was hoping for something plain and comfortable but as they approached the stall, she quickly realised that comfortable was not something any of the items of clothing possessed. Swallowing thickly, she took in the various leather corsets that hung above the metal framing of the stall. It was clear that none of these corsets could be considered modest in any way, especially with how they curved in around the bust area. 

Along with the corsets, there was also a range of tight leather leggings, skirts that were even shorter than the one she was currently wearing and boots made of yak hide and metal caps. This certainly didn’t look like the type of clothing that Astrid would be interested in wearing. 

Before she could say anything, Viggo called the stall owner over to assist them and the man hurried over with enthusiasm.

“How might I help you folks today?” he said, grinning widely at them both. 

“This lady would like to purchase some new clothes and armour,” Viggo replied, gesturing to Astrid. The man eyed Astrid up and down and she suddenly felt self conscious with how they roamed over her form.

“I might have just the thing,” the man said, stretching up to pull a corset down from the rack. Astrid’s eyes went wide as she took it in, it was a light brown colour with gold clasps at the front from top to bottom. A tan coloured belt wrapped around the middle while another dark coloured band, dotted with tiny metal spikes wrapped around the lower waist area. And then there was the bust area which consisted of two, molded metal plates that were held together by a thin strap that tied around the wearers neck. 

“That looks perfect, what do you think Camicazi?” Viggo asked her, an expectant look in his eyes. Astrid wanted to say she hated it, that she couldn’t see herself wearing something like that especially in battle, but the look he was giving her almost indicated that she didn’t have a choice either way. 

“It’s lovely,” she replied, hiding the cringe that was trying to break through. 

“Excellent. Go try it on.”

Astrid stepped forward, taking the corset from the man’s hand and entering the small tent that was erected beside it. She made sure the flaps were completely shut before removing her pauldrons and stripping her blue woven top. The bindings were next, and she carefully unwound them until her breasts fell free from the tight bind. Shivering, she pulled the corset on, flinching when the cool metal encased her breasts and skin. It was a lot tighter than the top she had been wearing, and the material was a lot rougher. She did the buckles up and fastened the belt around her waist, trying to ignore how exposed she was feeling. It was too hard for her to do the halter neck tie by herself so she would have to ask Viggo to do it before they could accurately assess the fit. 

“How is it going in there?” Viggo called out, tapping the entrance to the tent. Astrid straightened up, and opened the flap so he could see in, stepping back so he could appraise the corset. 

“I think it suits you perfectly, my dear.”

Astrid bit back a reply, and turned so her back faced him, indicating that she needed the straps tied up. Viggo caught the hint and came into the tent, taking the two straps and tying them in a tight knot around her neck. His large hands turned her back to face him and his eyes roamed over her form.

“Beautiful - we will take it,” he purred, and Astrid suddenly felt a sense of relief and regret as he left the tent. This outfit did not feel right at all, and she despised every bit of it, but if it made Viggo happy, then she was willing to bear it. 

Viggo was paying the man by the time she returned to them with her old blue woven top wrapped in her arms. She had put the pauldrons back on to protect her shoulders and also the arm wrappings because Viggo hadn’t mentioned that she couldn’t wear those. 

“I’m glad that you two came along, I’ve had no business for a few days now. The foot traffic has been getting worse and worse,” the man says, counting the gold in his palm.

“Is that so?” Viggo asked, one eyebrow arched. 

“Aye sir, apparently something has been scaring people.” 

Astrid frowned, wondering what could possibly be scaring people away. They hadn’t seen any threats when they had boarded the docks, and neither Viggo nor Thuggory had mentioned anything unusual. 

“That does seem rather peculiar,” Viggo answered, stroking his beard in deep thought. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen any hunters carrying a large sword, with rubies encrusted in the hilt have you?”

The man shook his head and Viggo sighed in frustration, glancing around at the other stalls. 

“Come Camicazi, we will keep looking - and you can dispose of the old top, you won’t be needing it anymore.”

Astrid looked down at the blue top in her hands before passing it over to the man behind the stall. He took it eagerly and much to her disgust, sniffed it. 

“Still warm,” he said with a grin that sent a shiver up her spine. Astrid scoffed in disgust and quickly turned to follow Viggo who was now inspecting the other stalls. 

“Camicazi, I want you to have a look around the island - see whether there are any dragon hunters hiding anywhere - they could have the sword in their possession,” he instructed, carefully.

Astrid nodded, lifting the axe to her shoulder and began to head out of the marketplace. 

“Oh and Camicazi?” Viggo called after her. “Bring me their heads.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Fangstryker for proofreading this chapter for me :).


	5. Chapter 5

Astrid ducked behind a hedge, watching the rowdy group of dragon hunters that were gathered around the firepit. She had been tracking the three of them for the last day, watching their every move until finally they had stopped to set up camp just off the beach. 

So far there had been no sign of Viggo’s sword, and there would be no point attacking them if they didn’t even have it. So instead, she waited patiently in the shelter of this hedge, eavesdropping on the hunters' conversations in the hopes of finding any information related to the sword. 

“Gods it feels good to get away from those  **bloody** Grimborns!” one dragon hunter boomed and a chorus of laughter followed. 

“You’re right about that, I don’t know who was worse, Viggo or Ryker,” another hunter guffawed. 

“Eh, both insane if you ask me,” the third hunter replied. “Viggo was too busy obsessing over that dragon rider instead of focusing on the task at hand. Ryker just wanted to outdo his younger brother in a power trip more than anything.”

“I never understood what he saw in that dragon rider. I would much rather the girl, you know the one that’s his little sidekick. Great perky, tits on that one,” the first hunter commented. There was a murmur of agreement and chuckling before they all went silent again. 

“I think Ryker fancied her a bit as well,” the third hunter remarked, taking a swig from his drinking horn. “Heard him joking about  _ taking _ her when we had captured a few of the riders a while ago.” 

“Wonder if we would have been offered seconds?” 

The third hunter scoffed, “Yeah like he would have shared, those Grimborn's were nothing but selfish.”

“Good riddance to them,” the second hunter said, standing up and stretching. “We best get some sleep, tomorrow we need to take all that junk to the markets and get paid what we deserve.” The other two hunters agreed, getting to their feet as well and stretching. 

“Birger should arrive with the next lot in the morning, I sent a terror mail to make sure he knows where to find us. That sword will definitely go for a good price.” 

Astrid watched as they all went inside their own small, makeshift tents, waiting a few moments to see if they would reappear. When they didn’t, she slowly crept out from her hiding place and away from the campsite until she came to a small cave opening. It wasn’t too far from the camp, which meant she would still be able to spy on the hunters and also have a good view of the beach. If another hunter was coming with the sword by boat, she would need to intercept it before they reached the others. Taking down one would be easy, but all four of them, not so much and she knew that it would be reckless to even try. 

It was even colder in the cave, and she shivered violently, teeth chattering. It was too risky to light a fire but at this rate, she was at risk of developing hyperthermia. Curling up into a tight ball, Astrid rocked backwards and forwards trying to keep warm until finally, she couldn’t take it any longer. She crept back over to the campsite, axe firmly grasped in one hand and a long branch in the other and held it over the still burning fire. The branch caught alit within a matter of seconds and Astrid quickly hurried back to the cave, putting the branch on a pile of rocks and throwing on some small bits of driftwood that she had found lying around on the beach. The fire grew in intensity and instantly warmed Astrid’s chilled body as she held her palms out to absorb the heat it offered. It was a stupid move, if the hunters looked out of their tents, they would surely see the flickering light coming from the cave. But at least she would be able to fight them off instead of sitting there freezing to death. Sleeping wasn’t an option either, especially because she could miss Birger’s arrival and lose the chance to get Viggo his sword back. 

Unfortunately, her mind and body were conflicted over the no sleep option and Astrid had to fight to keep her eyes open when her head began to loll back against the cave wall. It was clear that sleep was going to be happening regardless of her plans so she forced herself to get up and put some dry sticks at the entrance of the cave to act as an alarm. The sticks would crunch and make a loud noise if stepped on therefore alerting her to anyone's unwanted presence while she slept. 

Satisfied that it would be enough to prevent any surprise attacks, she went back to the fire and curled up in front of it, mentally telling herself that she could only have a small amount of sleep to recharge. Within a minute, her exhausted body and mind finally succumbed to the sleep it needed. 

_ Astrid found herself standing at the beach again, watching the same sunset. The blue dragon was there and it stood nearby, eying her carefully with a stick in it’s large mouth. She was about to approach the dragon, but the sound of flapping wings made her pause and look up into the sky to see another dragon approaching. As it grew closer, Astrid noticed that it had a rider on its back and part of her anticipated that it would be the faceless man.  _

_ The dragon landed a few feet away, calling out to the other dragon with a happy warble. The blue dragon bounded over to greet it, leaving Astrid standing there awkwardly as the rider dismounted. It was definitely the same faceless person that always visited her in whatever this dream sequence was. This time however, Astrid could make out a pair of emerald green eyes beyond the blur that still covered most of his face.  _

_ “I...can see your eyes now,” Astrid murmured as he came to stand in front of her. The young man chuckled, taking her hands in his and she let him without pulling away. Something about him was comforting, and almost familiar in a way, but she didn’t know why.  _

_ “Could you not see them before?” he asked, and although she couldn’t see his smile, she could hear it in his voice.  _

_ “No, your face is still mostly blurry,” Astrid replied, starting to feel a little silly. The man chuckled in amusement, and brought her hand up to place a soft kiss on it.  _

_ “It won’t always be like that. You just have to remember me,” he answered gently. _

_ “What do you mean remember you?” Astrid asked, looking confused. “What is your name?”  _

_ “One day you will remember who I am.”  _

_ “Did we know each other before I lost my memories?” Astrid questioned, and he nodded in response. “How though? Where are you now and why do I only see you in my dreams?”  _

_ The man cupped her face with one of his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb as his sad green eyes bore into her lost, blue ones. “I promise you, it will all make sense soon.”  _

_ Astrid sighed, but before she could say anything further, the man leant forward and kissed her. She froze at first, not quite registering what was happening until her arms wrapped around his neck and she found herself kissing him back eagerly. He pulled her closer so that their bodies were flush, his mouth moving against hers desperately. But then he was pulling away, almost completely breathless. “Quick, time to wake up, Astrid.” _

_ Her eyes widened, “What do you-,”  _

_ “Wake up!”  _

Astrid startled awake, and quickly sat up to see that the sun had already begun its ascent into the sky. “Shit!” she swore, frantically reaching for her axe and hurrying over to the entrance of the cave. The campsite was empty, indicating that the other three dragon hunters were either still asleep or had already left. There was still no sign of Birger from what she could see, or Viggo’s sword. 

Moving back slightly, Astrid began to formulate a plan when she noticed a small boat arriving at the shoreline.  _ This must be Birger, _ she thought to herself as the large dragon hunter got out to pull the small boat up and onto the sand. She wasn’t able to see what items he had in the boat but it was likely the sword would be in there. 

The other dragon hunters hadn’t noticed that he had arrived and it provided Astrid with the perfect opportunity to ambush him. She darted over to a tree and hid behind it, checking to see if the coast was still clear before deciding her next move. Birger was humming to himself as he unloaded the boxes, completely oblivious to the fact he was being targeted.  _ It was almost too easy _ , Astrid thought to herself, as she squatted down and started to sneak towards him, axe firmly in her grasp. As she began to approach him, another figure moved out from the bushes and onto the sand, making her pause immediately. She took refuge behind the tree again and peeked around, gasping when she noticed it was Thuggory.  _ What in Thor’s name is he doing here,  _ she grumbled to herself. 

Thuggory strode over to Birger with confidence and greeted him as though he was an old friend. Astrid strained her ear to try and listen to what they were talking about but the sound from the crashing waves made it difficult to hear anything else. Cursing, Astrid stood up and walked over to them, trying to appear passive despite carrying a deadly battle axe. Thuggory noticed her first and waved cheerfully, making Birger look slightly less apprehensive. 

“Cami! Fancy seeing you out here,” Thuggory said cheerfully, oblivious to the tension that was going around them. 

“I was about to say the same thing,” Astrid replied, icily. Her fixed stare seemed to make Birger squirm uncomfortably and he glanced back at the boat where the contents lay. 

“Me? I was just asking this lad here if he had noticed anything unusual,” Thuggory explained, glancing around the beach, “You see, I started setting up my stall and one of the others told me that something out here was scaring away the customers. So I came out here to take care of that problem.” 

Astrid scoffed, “You take care of something? How? Will you be annoying it to death?” Thuggory gave her a look of mock offence, holding his hand over his broad chest. 

“You’ve got me there, love!” he grinned, looking her up and down. His eyebrows raised slightly as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “New top? Was the old one not to your liking?” 

Astrid gritted her teeth, “No, the old one was just fine but Viggo decided I needed a new one - this one in fact.” A gasp of surprise behind Thuggory made Astrid instantly regret her words as Birger stumbled away from them.

“Did you say V-Viggo?” he stammered, face turning grey as he attempted to hurry towards his boat. Astrid instantly blocked him with her axe, sweeping her foot behind his leg to bring him to the ground. It knocked the wind out of him which enabled Astrid to bring the axe under his chin, pressing down slightly against the pulse of his throat. 

“Woah, Cami what the hell are you doing?” Thuggory exclaimed, coming to stand beside her. She didn’t answer him, completely focused on the now trembling man at her mercy. Viggo’s parting words replayed in her mind and she gulped when she realised what her next move would have to be. 

“P-please, just take whatever you want, just don’t take me back to Viggo,” he pleaded to her. Astrid considered this for a moment, if he willingly gave her the sword - would she really need to kill him? She pondered this for a moment, ignoring Thuggory’s questioning or Birger’s continuous pleading. 

“I’ll make you a deal - I take that sword and you get in this boat and leave immediately,” Astrid said, jerking her head in the direction of the boat where the sword lay gleaming in the sunlight. Birger nodded frantically, wincing as the axe dragged over his chest slightly before she lifted it back up over her shoulder. “Okay, then you are free to go, once Thuggory and I have got the sword.” She kept her gaze on him as she walked backwards towards the boat, reaching in and pulling it out to inspect it. Like the axe she held, the sword hilt was encrusted in gems - the only difference being that it was rubies. 

Birger clambered to his feet, brushing the sand from his clothes and eyeing her nervously. 

“If Viggo knows that we took his belongings he would -”

“Kill you,” Thuggory finished for him. “Yeah, I can see why the guy would be pissed that you stole his stuff.” Birger audibly gulped, looking from Astrid to him with unease. Before Astrid could say anything in response, she looked up to see the three hunters were awake and now approaching them at a slow pace.  _ Great,  _ she thought angrily. Her mind scrambled for a plan of action as they came closer she saw no other solution except to fight them. She doubted that they would be as easy to bargain with considering they outnumbered her and Thuggory hadn’t exactly said he would be assisting. 

“Your word, Birger?” Astrid reminded him through gritted teeth, hands tightening around the hilt of the sword and the other on the handle of her axe. Birger sneered, reaching in the boat for a mace and stepping forward.

“I think not darling, looks like you are outnumbered.”

Astrid sighed, dropping the sword to the side and lunging forward with her axe. Birger deflected it with his mace, chuckling as he pushed against it with all his might and almost knocked her off balance. Astrid swore, and spun to bring the head of the axe towards his calf. Birger hadn’t expected that and screamed when it embedded deep into his flesh. The other three hunters were now running towards them, shouting in anger. 

Astrid looked at Thuggory with desperation. “Don’t just stand there, pick up that sword and get ready to fight or something,” she yelled to him over Birger’s howls of pain. Thuggory was wide eyed and pale as though he couldn’t believe what was happening, but he did as she asked, picking up the sword with shaking hands. Astrid turned her gaze back to Birger who was holding his bleeding calf and desperately trying to drag himself away, leaving a crimson trail of blood on the sand. She moved forward, axe held above her shoulder as she let all sense of reason drain from her mind before swinging it down onto his chest with a sickening thud. Birger went limp, eyes glazing over as the blood seeped from both wounds. 

She swiveled on the spot just in time to see Thuggory rushing towards the hunters with the sword raised and a high pitched battle cry. Astrid ran forward to join him and was about to catch up with him when the sand disappeared beneath them all. Astrid threw her axe to the side as she felt herself start to descend into the open hole, reaching out with desperate hands to clutch onto the side. She heard the screams of the hunters as they fell into the depths below and panicked when she realised that the sand she was holding onto was falling through her fingers. 

“No!” she screamed, as she began to sink again. A large hand grasped her wrist, keeping her from falling and she looked up to see Thuggory peering over the side. “Thuggory? Be careful, the sand keeps slipping.” Thuggory nodded, pulling slightly to haul her up and grabbing her armpit to help pull her over the side. They both scampered away from the hole, just in time before it opened even further. Both panting, they got to their feet and observed it wearily. “What was that?” Astrid asked. Thuggory shook his head, still speechless. She looked around and saw her axe lying in the sand, quickly hurrying over to retrieve it before searching for the sword. “Where’s the sword?” Thuggory gave her a sheepish look, shoulders slumping as he pointed towards the opening of the hole. Astrid turned in the direction where he was pointing and gasped when she saw it balancing on the side, half hanging over the entrance to the hole. She put her axe back down and attempted to run over there when large arms wrapped around her middle. “Get off me!” she cursed, squirming in his hold.

“Don’t be stupid Cami! If you go anywhere near that thing you’ll fall in, just give it up!”

Astrid screamed in frustration but he held fast and she watched in horror as more sand slipped into the hole, taking the sword along with it. “NO!” she howled, elbowing Thuggory in the rib which made him loosen his hold enough for her to escape. She didn’t even attempt to go near the hole as it was pointless, the sword was already gone and there would be no getting it back. 

“It’s just a sword, Cami,” Thuggory whispered, putting his hand on her back. Astrid shrugged it off angrily, turning to face him while rage flooded through her. 

“If you hadn’t turned up, none of this would have happened. I could have got that sword and fulfilled my mission. Now I’ve failed and do you expect Viggo to just forgive me for that?” she exclaimed. Thuggory blinked, and gave her a bewildered look.

“Well excuse me Miss Ungrateful, but I saved your life back there. So the least you could do is be thankful that I didn’t let you fall.” 

Astrid snorted, “Yeah, well thanks for that. Because when I go back to Viggo empty handed, I’ll probably be dead anyway.” 

Thuggory said nothing to that, instead he gave her a look of pity. “I’m sure he won’t kill you just for that.”

“You don’t know him at all,” Astrid replied, quietly. Thuggory shrugged one shoulder as if to confirm the statement.

“You’re right, I don’t know him,” he said, eyes searching hers. “And you know what? I’m not sure you do either.” 

Astrid raised her eyebrows at that. She hadn’t shared the details of her head trauma with him, so how would he know. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how it’s weird that you barely even know who you are.”

Astrid scoffed, “You don’t even know what you are talking about, I know who I am.” She moved to push past him, avoiding his eye. 

“Do you know that you talk in your sleep?” he called out, making her stop in her tracks. “When I came down to get something on the boat while you were sleeping, you were muttering things.”

Astrid bit her lip, “You don’t understand, so just leave it okay.” She continued to walk away, heading over to Birger, who was lying lifeless over by his boat.  _ May as well at least bring him the head he asked for,  _ she thought, dejectedly. 

“I may not understand all that sleep talking and loss of memory - but I understand that you need someone to look out for you, so consider this me offering you my services,” Thuggory told her with a hint of amusement in his voice. Astrid glanced back at him while fighting back a snort. 

“You really want to stick around with me?” she asked in disbelief. 

He nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. “Sure, not like I have much else to do since I can’t sell any merchandise with that great big hole over there eating most of the customers.” 

Astrid rolled her eyes and turned back to Birger’s corpse, kicking it with her boot. “Okay deal, but you are carrying his head back to the marketplace.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update everybody, life has been kicking my ass a bit. I hope you all enjoy and does anyone want to take a guess as to how Viggo will react about his sword?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got around to updating this, and it is my longest chapter I have ever done. I've spent the last few weeks editing the past chapters as well. It was rather interesting (and cringe worthy) to read over my first few chapters, but I guess we all have to start somewhere. Now I think I am getting the hang of everything again. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Astrid ended up telling Thuggory all about the head injury and amnesia on their way back to the markets. She had been apprehensive to share these details at first but because he already knew that there was some memory loss involved, it was basically just filling in the blanks. He was amazed that she had survived falling into a volcano - an active one at that, and called her a badass, much to her amusement. The dreamscapes were also discussed, though she had left out the part with them kissing. He seemed rather intrigued with how often she had them. 

“So you see this faceless person every time you sleep?” he asked, as they trudged through the forest, occasionally tripping over unseen roots on the ground. 

“Yes, but I don’t know who they are - or why they come to me every time I sleep,” Astrid replied tiredly. 

“And you said this person has a dragon, right?” 

“Yeah.”

“What colour was it?” 

“I don’t know, ah, I’m pretty sure it was black, or like a midnight sort of colour,” she answered, thinking back to the most recent dream where the figure had flown in on a dragon. She had been too focused on its rider to pay much attention to it, but she vaguely remembered it being dark in colour. 

“Wasn’t the dragon that flew over the boat a black one? And there was a rider on it as well, I saw it with my own eyes,” Thuggory noted, oblivious to the shock that appeared on Astrid’s face. Gods, she hadn’t even put the two and two together. The shape of the dragon she had seen a few days ago flying over the ship matched the dragon that had been in her dream. And then there was the blue dragon who was always eagerly waiting for her on the beach. Where did that dragon come from? 

“Yo Cami, hello? Anyone in there?” Thuggory asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. Astrid shook her head and shot him a glare.

“Yeah, I was just thinking. You are right though, they definitely looked like the same dragon.”

“Well what does that tell you? It must be a sign, maybe you know that person? They could be the link to getting your memories back.”

Astrid frowned, that person was clearly a dragon rider so why would she be dreaming about them and why would they kiss her as though they were lovers. It didn’t make sense to her. Viggo had said that the dragon riders wanted her dead, didn’t he? Astrid made a noise of frustration, causing Thuggory to flinch away from her, a look of surprise on his face. He had been carrying the head of Birger for most of the way though had dropped it in his surprise. 

“What in Thor’s name! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he grumbled, holding his chest. Astrid just snorted and picked up the head off the ground, giving it a shake to loosen the leaves that clung to it. 

“If that was enough to scare you then you are definitely going to have to toughen up,” she remarked as she started walking again. Thuggory hurried to catch up, chuckling in response.

“You realise that I watched you take down a man twice your size, and also attempt to take on three others, yet you wonder why I am nervous when you make a sudden noise or movement,” he laughed. Astrid smiled and shook her head as they continued walking in silence, both alert in case there were any other hunters still in the area. 

Astrid found herself even more anxious as they approached the markets, it was one step closer to where Viggo was waiting for her, expecting his sword and the heads of those that betrayed him. Except she didn’t have the sword and only managed to succeed in bringing back one hunter’s head, which was currently dangling in her loose hold. Thuggory must have picked up on her anxiety as he grabbed her by the elbow, slightly pulling it so that she would stop walking and face him. 

“You know...we could just leave now, you don’t need to go back to him. We could just head to my boat right now and escape. He wouldn’t even notice,” he told her, ignoring the drips of blood that were creating a small puddle where they stood. Astrid glanced down at the head in her left hand, grimacing slightly and holding it further away from her to avoid getting any more blood on her boots or clothing. 

“That won’t work, he would come after me. Viggo doesn’t forgive those that betray him,” Astrid said and held the head up to prove her point. Thuggory sighed, running a hand through his mousey brown hair. “I have to go back to him, it’s literally the only choice I have right now. Maybe I will be able to sneak away later...that is if I’m not dead.” Thuggory frowned at that statement but nods in understanding. “If I’m still alive, I will try to meet you at your boat after sunset. If I’m not there when night falls - just go and don’t turn back.” 

“I don’t like this plan at all, but I guess I will just have to have faith that he will spare your life. If you do manage to escape, I promise I will help you find your memories.” 

Astrid gave him a grateful smile before she continued along the path, feeling his gaze on her back. It was comforting to know that there was someone who genuinely cared for her well being - a friend almost. The fact that she was very likely walking to her death made the sentiment even more appreciated. 

As she came to the centre of the Northern Markets, Astrid lifted her hood up and over her head, shrouding her features in darkness. A few heads turned when she walked past them, 

towards the tavern where she assumed Viggo would be waiting. Inside was mainly empty much to Astrid’s relief, and she approached the woman behind the counter, keeping Birger’s head behind her back so that it was out of view. 

“Hello there love, what can I get for you?” she asked cheerfully. 

Astrid gave her a fake smile in return. “I was just wondering whether a Viggo Grimborn was here?” 

“Ah yes, Mr Grimborn is here, and you must be Camicazi? I was told to expect you.” 

The woman beckoned her forwards and led her through a hallway until they came to a closed door. “Just through there,” she told her. Her eyes widened when she noticed Astrid’s blood covered clothing and the trail of scarlet drops that had followed them down the narrow hallway. “Oh my, are you bleeding?” 

Astrid quickly shook her head and opened the door, slamming it shut before the woman could ask any further questions. Her heartbeat quickened when she realised that there was now no going back, she would have to confront Viggo with her failure and hope that he would spare her. Swallowing thickly, she approached the main room, seeing that he was standing at the window that overlooked the northern markets. She removed her hood and took a few steps forward, heart thudding loudly and almost painfully in her nervous state. 

“Sir?” she said, voice unusually shaky compared to what it normally was. Viggo hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t turn to face her. So she threw Birger’s head towards him, watching as it landed with a sickening thud before rolling to his feet, face down. Viggo glanced down at it, using his foot to turn it over, snorting when he obviously recognised who it belonged to. 

“Birger? Well I would say I’m surprised but that would be a lie. So I assume you found the dragon hunters who stole the sword - were you successful in retrieving it?” 

Astrid exhaled, and looked down at her feet, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry...but the sword is gone. I failed to retrieve it. It fell down the sand hole with the other three hunters that were involved in selling the stolen goods from your hut.” She could feel his disappointment without even having to look up, and immediately tensed when he began to approach her, arms behind his back. He casually circled her while she stood rooted to the spot, fear gripping every nerve in her body. Was this it? Was he about to kill her? She began to shake as he came to stand in front of her, his hand cupping her neck tightly so that she had no other choice but to look up at the cold, dark and unforgiving eyes. 

“That is...disappointing. But yet you tried to complete the task and therefore, proved your loyalty - even bringing back a head just as I asked,” he remarked. Astrid didn’t say anything, just gazed up at him, waiting for his final decision on what her fate would be. If what those hunters said was true, then it was likely these were her last living moments. _And I have to die without even knowing who I really am,_ she thought to herself .

She felt herself shaking despite trying to keep calm, not wanting to show fear or weakness. Viggo assessed her, dark eyes gazing intently into her cautious blue ones, and she hoped he would see the apology in them - that it would be enough to spare her life. Viggo raised his other hand and she flinched, expecting to be struck, but instead his hand stroked her rounded cheek carefully. “Are you afraid of me, Astrid?” 

Astrid was not expecting to hear those words, and she gave a rather unconvincing “no,” in reply. Viggo chuckled, removing his hand away from her face but keeping a hold of her neck with his other. 

“My dear, you do not need to fear me, I only punish those who betray me, or steal from me. As far as I am aware, you have not done either of these things.” 

Astrid gulped, remembering the earlier conversation with Thuggory where they had formed the plan to escape - something that would certainly be classed as a betrayal. “What about failure? You said you wouldn’t accept failure...and I did fail to bring the sword back,” she said with a shaky voice. Viggo hummed, looking thoughtful for a moment as though he was trying to recall when he had said that. 

“Yes, I suppose those who fail me do deserve to be punished,” he finally said and Astrid cursed herself inwardly for even mentioning it. Viggo gave her a tight smile, bringing his hand to cup her chin and using his thumb to graze her rosy lips that she hadn’t noticed were trembling slightly. “But you my dear, are an exception to that. Because unlike all those other blubbering fools, you would never fail me deliberately. I’ve come to realise that _you_ are the only person I trust in this wretched world and therefore, I’d be willing to pardon you for mistakes that would normally cost others their lives.” 

Upon seeing her shocked expression, he laughed lightly. “Perhaps someday I will have the sword back in my possession, but until then, we need to formulate our next move. I have a potential ally who has expressed the wish to meet with me this late afternoon. I will send you to retrieve our food while I speak with this person. Astrid nodded, feeling somewhat relieved that he was not angry with her. Viggo gave her something that might have resembled a smile before releasing the hold on her neck, stepping away to retrieve some gold out of a small pouch. “Go and fetch us something for supper, and perhaps some more meade if you would. And while you are out, go and fetch Thuggory for me. I saw him heading to the docks earlier and I have another request for him.” Astrid blinked, feeling her heart start to race. He wanted Thuggory? Did he know something? Surely Viggo wouldn’t have spared her life if he had caught wind that she had considered leaving with Thuggory. But even now, Astrid wasn’t so sure she wanted to leave anymore. Viggo had said that she was the only person he trusted, which meant that she had to mean something to him. _But what is it?_ she wondered.

Astrid bowed her head slightly and turned to leave when Viggo called out after her. “Conceal yourself and take your axe, this place is hidden with spies for those dragon riders.” Astrid pulled her hood to cover her head and face once more, holding the gold tightly in her palm and axe in the other hand as she exited the room. She had been in such a hurry that she hadn’t noticed another tall, cloaked figure about to knock on the door and ended up colliding with them. 

“Sorry,” she stammered, losing her balance slightly. The person caught her by the arm and straightened her, allowing a quick glimpse of their face under the cloak. The person was clearly an older male with dark, olive toned skin, a goatee and piercing brown eyes that looked as though they could make even the strongest viking’s wary. Astrid also noticed a scar on his left eye that came from his eyebrow down to his cheek. 

“That is quite all right, child,” he replied in a smooth voice, causing a shiver to run up Astrid’s spine. “Where might you be off to? I assume you have just been with Viggo?”

“Yes...he is my Chief,” Astrid mumbled back, starting to feel weary of this man. 

“Ah I see. I am just about to have a meeting with him in fact. If it goes well, we may find ourselves working together.” 

Astrid nodded in acknowledgement and gave him a slight bow before hurrying back down the hall, feeling the man's burning gaze on her back as she did so. He made her feel slightly uneasy and she hoped that Viggo wouldn’t form an alliance with him, or if he did, that it wouldn’t involve her having to be around him. Deciding to leave the cloaked man to Viggo, Astrid quickly headed towards the docks to where Thuggory would be waiting on the boat. 

* * *

“Enter,” Viggo called out upon hearing the knock at the door, he had been expecting this special guest since receiving the terror mail earlier that morning and had just finished disposing of Birger’s unsightly head. The cloaked person entered the room swiftly and gave a nod in greeting. 

“Viggo Grimborn, we meet again,” the man said, holding a hand out towards Viggo. “If you remember, my name is Krogan.”

Viggo shook the outstretched hand with his burnt one, noticing how Krogan looked down at it with interest. He retracted it and gestured towards a chair that sat in front of a large desk before taking the other seat behind it. “What do you want from me?” he asked, and the man chuckled in response. 

“Well it would appear that you are a hard man to kill. The rumours were that you perished in the volcano while battling the dragon riders - and that you had also pulled one of the riders in with you. I’m curious as to how you survived?”

Viggo eyed Krogan cautiously. “Before I disclose such matters with you, tell me what you require from me?” 

“Drago has sent me on a mission to find the king of dragons, and I need your assistance - I am told the Dragon Eye belongs to House Grimborn. The Dragon Eye would be an invaluable tool to finding the king of dragons.”

Viggo looked thoughtful for a moment and reached for the jug that held the last remnants of meade, pouring it into two mugs and pushing one towards Krogan who accepted it wordlessly. “Unfortunately, I do not possess the Dragon Eye, it was stolen from me shortly before my downfall and now lies in the volcano that nearly became my gravesite.” 

Krogan took a sip of his drink and placed the mug back down to survey him carefully. “And how are you planning on recovering it, I assume you have a plan to get it back?” 

“I am still in the process of formulating a plan, but yes, I will be taking back what is mine.” 

“And what of the girl I passed in the hall earlier? Where does she fit into this?” Krogan questioned, leaning forward in interest. Viggo drank from his mug, swirling its contents with a calculated look before meeting his gaze again. 

“When the time comes, she will play an important part in my plan to punish the riders for what they have done. Until then she remains my warrior.” 

Krogan looked impressed for a moment, “So she is part of your revenge?” 

“Countermove,” Viggo corrected. “Hiccup Haddock has destroyed everything that my family stands for and everything that I have worked for...it is only fair that I return the favour.”

Krogan frowned. “You seem rather confident that this plan of yours will work. My sources tell me that the leader of the dragon riders is quite devastated at his fellow riders death. It gives us the perfect distraction to strike now and retrieve the Dragon Eye while his mind is clouded by grief.”

Viggo scoffed at his words. “You underestimate these dragon riders.” 

“Perhaps you are right,” Krogan replied smoothly. “And that is why I am here requesting your assistance. Both of us are equally dangerous on our own, but imagine the things we could do if we became allies?” 

“And why should I agree to help you...or Drago?”

“Because you have already attempted to take down the dragon riders, and you failed. Face it Viggo, you need me as much as I need you. Together we can beat these pesky dragon riders, take back the Dragon Eye and locate the king of dragons. Drago will reward us both greatly if we succeed.” 

“I work for no one,” Viggo snapped and slammed his empty mug onto the table. 

“Then work alongside us, in the end, everyone gets what they want.” 

Viggo considered this, stroking his chin carefully as he did so. “If I do agree to help you, I have one small request to make.” Krogan nodded for him to continue. “ Hiccup Haddock is mine.” 

Krogan raised his eyebrows. “So the rumours are true, you desire him?” 

Viggo exhaled, and leant back in the chair. “Well as I said, there is a lot more to Hiccup Haddock than meets the eye and you will come to learn that for yourself. And while a small part of me desires him...my desire for power and revenge is far greater. I intend to make him pay for what he has done first and foremost.” 

Krogan seemed satisfied with this answer and got to his feet, holding his hand out. “Then it is settled. I will meet you at the docks tomorrow at sunrise, we will leave immediately.” Viggo shook his hand and watched as he exited the room, feeling conflicted on the choice that he had just made. He made a note to himself to keep Astrid close. He would not risk his plan being jeopardised, even with this new alliance. 

* * *

Astrid walked along the dock towards Thuggory’s boat, and jumped onto the deck, looking around for any sign of him. “Thuggory? Are you here?” she called out. There was the sound of someone clambering up the stairs and she turned to see him appear from below deck. 

“You’re alive?!” he exclaimed, sounding relieved. Astrid gave him a smile in return, though she felt rather guilty with what she was about to say. “I managed to get some food for the journey, I was thinking that we could stop by Berserker Island first and see if anyone there knows anything about - “

“I’m staying,” Astrid interjected, feeling slightly guilty when his face dropped.

“You’re what? Seriously? But why?”

“I was stupid to even consider leaving. Right now, I am safer staying with Viggo. I’m going to ask him about my past and have hope that he will tell me,” Astrid told him, ignoring his snort. 

“Safer with him? You sure about that?” he scoffed in reply. Astrid narrowed her gaze and he immediately held his palms up. “Okay I’m sorry, I just don’t agree that you are safer with him.” 

Astrid shrugged, “He asked me to come and get you...said there was something he wanted to ask you.” 

Thuggory looked nervous for a moment. “Did...he say why?”

Astrid shook her head and he sighed. “I’ll come back with you and see what he wants from me. I gave you my word that I would help you and if staying is what you choose, then I will stay as well.” 

Astrid smiled, feeling relieved that he would stay just for her. She climbed out of the boat, and led him back towards the tavern where Viggo would be waiting. She had already ordered the food for supper and planned to pick it up on the way back, having paid for it prior to heading to the docks. The lady handed the large, steaming pot of stew to her and handed the smaller bowls to Thuggory to carry. 

Viggo was still sitting at his desk when they entered. Astrid didn’t say anything and just placed the pot of stew on the wooden table, taking the bowls from Thuggory to set them down beside it. Thuggory approached Viggo slowly, his hands fidgeting as he waited for him to acknowledge his presence. 

“Thuggory, I appreciate you coming at such short notice. I feared that you may have already left.”

Thuggory gave him a nervous smile. “No, I wasn’t going to leave until morning. Astrid caught me while I was about to eat my own supper.”

“Excellent - I have a request for you. I recalled from our earlier discussions that you have plenty of connections and was hoping that you would assist me in assembling a few followers,” Viggo asked and gestured for him to sit at the table. Thuggory took a seat opposite Astrid who was gazing at him through her blonde bangs. 

“I can do that,” Thuggory confirmed and Astrid felt a sense of relief that Viggo had allowed him to stay. “When do I need to get them by?”

“Immediately, we leave here tomorrow at sunrise.” 

Thuggory’s face fell slightly, but then it changed into determination. “I best get started now then, I will meet you both at the docks tomorrow with whoever I manage to rally.”

“Thank you Thuggory, I knew I could count on you,” Viggo told him cheerfully. Thuggory gave him a quick half bow, giving Astrid a small smile as he left them to their supper. Now that it was just the two of them, Viggo gestured for Astrid to eat and she complied, taking a bowl to fill it with the stew. 

“So I have formed an alliance with a man named Krogan,” he informed her while they began to eat. Astrid blinked, not sure how to respond to that, the guy had given her a bad feeling, but of course it wasn’t her place to voice such an opinion so she just nodded in acknowledgement.

They resumed eating in silence which allowed Astrid to ponder on the similarities between the mysterious person's dragon and the one that had flown over the boat a few days ago. And then there was the bird-like dragon who was always waiting for her, almost like it knew her. Before she could stop herself, the question came tumbling out. “Have I ever ridden a dragon before?” 

Viggo paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth as he processed her question. “What possessed you to ask?” he questioned carefully and Astrid shrunk down in her seat under his intense gaze. 

“I...uh...I’ve been dreaming about one,” she murmured back. Viggo hummed, and lowered his spoon back into the bowl, dabbing his mouth with a rag. 

“Yes, you have flown a dragon. In fact you had a Deadly Nadder - who was your constant companion.”

Astrid's eyes widened, could that be the dragon in her dreams? “What happened to it?” she asked with hidden excitement. 

“I presume that she was captured by the riders and is being held prisoner,” Viggo replied.

Astrid’s heart dropped. “What...what are you saying? That they have my dragon?”

“Yes,” Viggo confirmed. “Astrid, I feel it is time that I let you know exactly what happened prior to your head injury. I had wanted to spare you from the heartache of these memories, but I feel it is necessary that you know what happened.” Astrid straightened, waiting for him to continue. She was finally going to get pieces to the puzzle. “The leader of the dragon riders, Hiccup...he somehow found a way to seduce you while you were on a mission for me. He told you that he loved you and of course you were smitten. You were so adamant that the dragon riders would agree to a truce with us that you persuaded both Ryker and I to meet with them. Unfortunately it was a trap and a battle ensued, costing Ryker his life. You realised that Hiccup had only pretended to love you in order to get close enough to steal the Dragon Eye and tried to escape with it. But when he couldn’t get close to it on his own, he used his pretend feelings to bribe you into giving it to him. And when you refused and threw the Dragon Eye into the volcano to protect it, he grew angry and… Oh dear, how do I say this. He pushed you in, Astrid.” 

Astrid’s heart hammered in her chest. What if the person in her dreams was Hiccup and she was remembering the part of him that had faked being in love with her? Viggo reached out and placed his large hand over hers. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, my dear, but I feel that it is your right to know.” 

Astrid nodded, blinking away the tears. “How did I survive falling into the volcano?” she asked numbly. 

“I jumped in to save you. I had already lost my brother, I wasn’t willing to lose you as well. I received a few burns as a result, but we are both alive - and that is what matters. And I promise you that we will make Hiccup pay for what he has done to us.” 

Astrid glanced up at him and he gave her a warm smile, hand squeezing hers. “I want to make him suffer, as he has made me suffer,” she said acidly and Viggo nodded in agreement. 

“Oh, Hiccup will suffer, you have my word, my dear. Now get some rest. I will fill you in on the details about our new alliance tomorrow. Your sleeping quarters are through that door.” 

Feeling as though she was being dismissed, Astrid cleared her bowl and left for her sleeping quarters. “Goodnight,” she said to Viggo. He uttered the same back and she closed the door, turning to see a small wooden bed lined with furs. Leaning her axe against the wall, Astrid pulled at the clasps of the tight, leather corset and gave a sigh of relief as it fell from her torso. Removing the spiked skirt and leggings along with her boots, she then climbed into the bed, relaxing amongst the furs as her mind processed what she had just been told. Hiccup had tried to kill her, and even worse, he had pretended to love her in order to get the Dragon Eye. The thought made her sick to think that it could be the same person in her dreams, the one who had kissed her with such passion and love. How could she have been so weak to allow such a thing to happen? And even worse, it had cost Viggo so much, his brother, the Dragon Eye, and almost himself just to save her. _Those Grimborns are nothing but selfish -_ those had been the words that one of the traitorous dragon hunters had used to describe Viggo while Astrid had been eavesdropping, but how true was that statement? 

When Astrid thought about it, Viggo had sacrificed himself to save her, taken her to get medical attention and treated her to new weapons and clothing (even if she didn’t appreciate the exact style) while also forgiving the multiple failures without punishing her. That didn’t sound very selfish to Astrid, and it made her relieved that she had made the decision to stay after all. At least Thuggory would still be coming along with them anyway. Maybe they could get her dragon back as well?

Astrid rolled over, wincing as the healing wound rubbed against the furs. She was almost hesitant to sleep with the knowledge that she might see _him_. But she couldn’t avoid sleep forever, so she allowed her eyelids to close, feeling anger and bitterness at the thought of seeing him again. But a small part was excited at the prospect of being with him, to feel the same warm, tingly feeling that she had when he had kissed her. Astrid was confused as to how something could feel so...right, but be so fake at the same time.


	7. Chapter 7

Astrid startled awake when Viggo knocked on the bedroom door, entering only seconds later as she sat up, holding the bed covers up to shield her state of undress. 

“The sun has almost risen - best you get up and prepare to leave for the docks,” he advised. Astrid nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It felt as though she’d barely had a wink of sleep, always finding that she would wake abruptly every so often.  _ He _ hadn’t visited her this time, in fact Astrid didn’t have any dreams at all. Perhaps it was only when she fell in a deep sleep that she dreamt of him, or maybe it was because she now knew the truth - that he had manipulated her into believing they were in love. 

Viggo cleared his throat expectantly and she snapped her head up to look at him. 

“Sorry,” she apologised. Viggo hummed, hands joining together behind his back as he walked around the small room.

“Have any dreams last night?” he asked in a smooth tone. 

“No,” she replied truthfully and he smiled, looking pleased at her answer. 

“I will leave you to finish getting dressed, don’t be too long.” 

Astrid nodded again, only letting the covers drop when he had left the room. With a sigh, she swung her legs out of bed, feet touching the cold wooden floor. Forcing her tired self to stand, she then moved over to collect her clothes, dressing quickly and re-braiding her hair into something a bit tidier. Hopefully she would be able to get some sleep on the ship, though that was probably highly unlikely. At least there wouldn’t be much to do while they were sailing, meaning she could rest while no one was watching. 

When she left the bedroom, Viggo was waiting patiently by the door, watching as she approached him with her axe slung over her shoulder. They left without a word, heading out of the tavern and into the currently deserted Northern Markets. The sun was just starting to rise, painting the sky in a soft, rosy hue which fascinated Astrid as they continued walking towards the docks. Viggo seemed disinterested in the sky entirely, too focused on getting to where they needed to be. 

They arrived at the docks, noticing a small gathering of people including Thuggory waiting for them. Some were engaged in a rather animated conversation, obviously unaware that their new chief had arrived. Thuggory quickly silenced them when he noticed Viggo approaching and they all stood at attention. 

“Thuggory, I see you have fulfilled my request of gathering some followers,” Viggo said cheerfully. “Please accept my gratitude.” Thuggory beamed, looking happy to have succeeded, especially in the amount of time he’d been given. He had managed to gather at least eight people, each appeared to be great brawny brutes who were probably lacking a few brain cells.  _ Better than nothing,  _ Astrid thought to herself as she surveyed them carefully. Viggo appeared to think the same thing as he introduced himself, informing the group about what would be required of them. 

Thuggory sidled over to her, bending down to whisper something when suddenly a new voice made him pause.

“Why look who it is, the infamous Viggo Grimborn,” the newcomer said, causing them all to turn around. The owner of the voice was a short man, with brown hair that had hints of grey and a long beard twisted in a knot. The smile he wore instantly gave Astrid the impression that he was evil and vindictive - making her wary. 

“Johann, I didn’t expect to see you here. I’m assuming that you are joining our little party then?” Viggo answered, tone laced with false politeness. Astrid noticed that he half turned towards her with an expression she couldn’t quite read. 

“Oh did Krogan not fill you in? I will also be working as part of this alliance, together we will find this king of dragons and bask in our wealth - hopefully freeing the archipelago of those Dragon Rider’s once and for all.” 

Viggo seemed tense, obviously uncomfortable with the idea that they would be working alongside Johann. Astrid moved forward, coming to stand next to Viggo where Johann could see her. He gasped, stumbling back slightly at the sight of her. “Oh, M - Miss Astrid...I thought you were dead. I didn’t even see you there, oh I must apologise. It must give you the wrong impression to see me here with these thugs, but I can assure you - “

“What in Odin’s name are you talking about?” Astrid interrupted rudely, looking up at Viggo with confused eyes. He gave a slight shake of his head, urging her to be quiet. This man obviously knew her, the fact that he had called her by her true name said as much. Clearly Viggo was not willing to let the conversation continue so she let it go, deciding to focus on it later instead. 

In the end, it was Thuggory that broke the awkward silence, by literally snorting at the older man's reaction. “Astrid, hah. This is Cami.” 

Johann was stumped for a moment, giving Viggo a questioning gaze which was only met with further silence. Before he could ask for an explanation, Krogan appeared with an army of twenty men behind him. 

“If you imbeciles are done with all this pointless talk, shall we board the ship and be on our way? Or are we going to sit here all morning and discuss the identity of this girl?” he demanded, ignoring Astrid’s glare and completely disregarding the way she tightened her grip on the handle of her axe. Viggo humphed in reply, turning back to his small assembly of followers and ordering them onto the ship. Astrid followed them, Thuggory, Viggo and Johann taking up the rear as they boarded the large ship. Krogan and his men were the last to climb aboard, instantly getting to work to set sail. 

She didn’t miss hearing Johann whisper, “I hope you know what you are doing Viggo, you are playing a dangerous game bringing her into our business.” Viggo’s reply was inaudible even with Astrid straining her ears to hear. 

“All hunters listen closely, your sleeping quarters will be below deck to the right. Place your belongings there and get to work. We leave soon,” Krogan ordered. The other hunters all moved quickly to follow these instructions, apart from Astrid who hung back and waited until the stairway was clear. When she entered the shared sleeping quarters, the reaction she received from the other hunters was not what she had been expecting. 

“Hey gorgeous, you can  _ share _ a bed with me,” one called out, puckering up his lips in a suggestive way. A few others guffawed at his words, laughing even louder when Astrid shot them a warning look. Thuggory pushed his way to the front, a worried expression on his face as another hunter moved towards her - clear desire in his eyes. 

“Yeah come on pretty girl, why don’t you show us what you’re hiding underneath those - “ he was silenced when Astrid jabbed him in the stomach with the handle of her axe, making him keel over, gasping for breath and grunting. She then raised the axe, preparing to embed it into his flesh when a hand covered her own - stopping it from lowering any further. 

“That is quite enough, Cami,” Viggo told her in his usual smooth voice. Astrid scowled but obeyed. Viggo assessed her closely then turned back to look at the sheepish hunters. “Cami, I think it would be wise if you shared my quarters with me - instead of in here.” She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful that she wouldn’t have to sleep here. She trailed after Viggo, giving Thuggory a small smile as they passed him and climbed the stairs again, coming to another door on the right. Krogan and Johann must have been in the other two rooms, meaning that this one would be Viggo and hers. They entered and Astrid noticed that the room was fairly small, consisting of one bed large enough to fit one person and a small desk where Viggo had already set up a Mace and Talons board. There was a small area for washing up in the corner which was hidden behind a long piece of cloth for privacy. 

“Where...will I sleep?” Astrid asked curiously. 

“In the bed. I don’t usually sleep well so I have no need for it,” Viggo answered nonchalantly. Astrid swallowed thickly, unsure if this was a good idea, but it was not like she could decline. The fact that Viggo barely slept also explained the reason why he looked tired all the time - especially with those permanent dark rings around his eyes. 

Astrid put away the few belongings she had, watching Viggo out of the corner of her eye as she did so. He was staring at the Mace and Talons board intently, moving a few pieces around every now and again. “You still need to teach me how to play,” she mentioned shyly, hoping that she was not out of place saying such a thing. Viggo however chuckled, gesturing to the stool on the other side. She sat down, observing the board carefully. 

“I will teach you to play, but first we need to discuss this alliance and the part we have in it.” Astrid nodded, listening intently as he continued. “Krogan has asked for my help in retrieving the Dragon Eye which remains in the volcano on the island where the riders have their base camp. He requires the Dragon Eye to lead both himself and his leader to the King of Dragons.”

Astrid nodded in understanding. “And what does Johann want out of this?” she asked curiously. 

“Power and wealth are the most likely reasons,” Viggo answered. “Which leads me to explain what our position in this plan is. The Dragon Eye has been in my family for generations - it belongs with me. I want us to retrieve the Dragon Eye, and find this King of Dragons where we will receive a reward from Drago Bludvist, should we succeed.”

“And what about our revenge on the Dragon Riders?” 

Viggo smiled knowingly. “Don’t worry my dear, we will still get our revenge against the Dragon Riders when the time is right.” This satisfied Astrid, she couldn’t wait to make them pay for what they’d done to her - to what Hiccup had done to her. 

There was something else that bothered her though, something she wanted answers for. “Why did you have me sleep in your quarters instead of down there with the others?” Viggo looked up at her, eyebrows raised as though it should be obvious. “I mean I get why you don’t want me down there - but how come you want me to be in here with you?” 

Viggo sighed. “My dear, you ask far too many questions.” Astrid blushed but he decided to give her an explanation anyway. “I know all too well what those hunters down there were thinking, and it is not a risk I am willing to take.”

Astrid scoffed, “I could’ve taken care of myself.”

Viggo chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Oh and I don’t doubt that for a second, my dear, but if that was the case - we would have no one left to do the dirty work.” She supposed he was not wrong, even if the hunters had been joking, Astrid wouldn’t have hesitated to fight back if needed, if necessary, she probably would have killed them. Viggo also seemed to know this, hence why he had probably stepped in to prevent it from escalating. “And as I said yesterday - you are all I have left.” Astrid gave him a small smile, which he returned before turning his attention back to the board. 

Astrid readjusted herself in the chair, eyes starting to feel heavy from fatigue as she fought to stay awake. Viggo peered up from his board when she started slipping sideways. “Get some sleep Astrid, I will be meeting with Johann and Krogan shortly to discuss where we are headed first.” 

Astrid yawned, not even trying to pretend that she wasn’t tired while getting off the chair to stagger over to the bed. Viggo stood up from his seat, leaving the small cabin and shutting the door behind him, leaving Astrid alone to her thoughts. She was desperate for sleep, her mind and body were literally begging for it and she could no longer fight it. Barely managing to remove her corset, skirt and leggings before falling asleep, Astrid lay down on the furs, eyes closing.

* * *

Viggo strolled past the newly recruited Dragon Hunters, not even acknowledging them, even as they turned around. He found the door to the main quarters and entered, finding both Krogan and Johann standing at a table with a map in front of them.

“Ah, Viggo, there you are. I was wondering when you would join us,” Johann said rather icily. Viggo didn’t respond, instead walking up to the table to peer at the map. Johann huffed, “I don’t suppose you are going to  **share** how Astrid came to be your  _ loyal _ , warrior? My understanding was that Astrid died in the volcano, along with you. Yet here you both are, alive and the girl doesn’t seem like the one I used to know. I  **want** an explanation.” 

Viggo tensed his jaw with annoyance, straightening to look at his fellow ally with a passive face. “Astrid doesn’t have any recollection of her past memories - she only remembers what I have told her. Which happens to be that she was and  _ is _ , my loyal and most trusted warrior.” 

Johann looked surprised for a moment, hand coming up to stroke his beard as he absorbed this information. “So - I am guessing you told her a false past? Something that would make her assume that the Dragon Rider’s are her enemies instead of her friends, her family?” 

“You are correct in that assumption. I have made her think that Hiccup wooed her into thinking they were in love, which turned out to be a ploy to obtain the Dragon Eye from us. The girl hates Hiccup and wants revenge against the Dragon Rider’s. It’s almost too perfect if I do say so myself.” 

Johann smiled an evil grin. “Brilliant - yes brilliant. She will make the perfect distraction against those pesky Dragon Rider’s when the time comes. What a perfect way to punish Hiccup for all he has done. It’s just too good! Hiccup will be broken when he finds out. I remember when he was just a scrawny little runt, coming on to my ship with a few pieces of gold to purchase Astrid a present, hoping that it would be enough for her to notice him.”

“Yes, that is the plan,” Viggo answered, casting his eyes on the map. 

Krogan snorted behind them. “And what happens when this girl - Cami or Astrid, gets her memories back, what then?” 

The smile fell from Johann’s face as he considered this. “Yes, Krogan’s right. What then?”

Viggo sighed, “Well, that is when the next part of my plan would come into play.”

“And that is…?” 

There was silence for a moment before Krogan blinked in realisation, a look of disbelief flashing across his face. “Please tell me you aren’t going to try and make this girl fall in love with you!” 

Johann snapped his head towards him in shock, mouth falling open when Viggo only smiled in response. “And how do you intend to do this exactly? Wait, no never mind. I  **don’t** wish to know.”

“I can tell that she already anticipates something between us - even through her fear or confusion. I see the look in her eyes and it will be all too easy. One of Astrid’s most noticeable traits is her loyalty. Making her fall in love with me, will likely make her conflicted between the past and the present - should the past memories ever return of course.” 

Both men exchanged glances before looking back at Viggo. “I hope you know what you are doing, Viggo.”

“Oh I most certainly do,” Viggo replied scornfully. 

“Now - enough about the silly girl. As of now we have no use for her. Let’s discuss the more important matters, such as gathering an army of dragons. If we are going to fight the Rider’s, then we need to have equal firepower,” Krogan stated and Johann nodded along in agreement. 

“Capturing dragons takes time, which we don’t have a lot of. Even with the dragon root, we would only be able to take down a few dragons at a time. Which is why I propose a different tactic,” Viggo offered while pacing the room. “I suggest we travel to Melody Island where the Death Song dragon inhabits. Tame this dragon, and it will be able to lure any surrounding ones to where we stand, capturing them in its amber and leaving them unable to fight back. It would be far quicker and easier.” 

Krogan considered this. “You are right. It won’t be easy to capture the Death Song dragon, let alone tame it. But we would be able to obtain an army of dragons sooner than what we would from hunting them with dragon root.” 

Johann hummed in agreement. “So it is settled - we travel to Melody Island and attempt to capture the Death Song first. Once we have an army of dragons, we will make our move on the riders and search for the Dragon Eye.” There was another murmur of agreement. 

Viggo didn’t stay to engage in small talk with the two men, choosing to go back to his quarters instead. Maybe he would play another round of Maces and Talons. If Astrid was awake, he could even teach her like she had requested earlier. It would give them something to do since it would take them longer than a day to reach Melody Island. Not to mention spending time together would further assist his plan in seducing her. He could still notice some fear and apprehension in her eyes, something that would need to be changed. She needed to trust him entirely, meaning that he would need to calculate his approach - so that it wasn’t too abrupt. 

He opened the door to the quarters and entered, seeing that Astrid was still fast asleep. She almost looked angelic while sleeping - innocent even. Her blonde hair, still braided was coming undone in certain places and her mouth was parted slightly, long lashes flickering in her sleep. She almost didn’t look capable of killing anyone - though Viggo knew otherwise. 

Choosing not to wake her, Viggo crossed the small room to sit at the small table where the Maces and Talons board was set up. It would preoccupy him for a while at least. Moments later, there was a small sound from the bed, causing Viggo to look up. Astrid was still asleep but it had definitely come from her. He listened again, waiting to see if she would do it again. She did. It was barely audible, but he managed to catch it.

“H- Hiccup,” she moaned while squirming under the covers, face frowning slightly. Viggo stood, coming to stand above her as she continued to squirm. The furs which had covered her body, slipped away, baring her breasts and upper torso to him. He glanced down at the small yet perky mounds, eying the rosy buds which were stiff from either the cold air, or the dream she was having. 

_ So she does dream about Hiccup _ , he thought to himself. He wondered whether this was the first time she’d dreamt of him. Part of him considered that it could be actual memories replaying in her mind. Maybe he would ask her when she woke, just to see what her reaction would be. 

She continued moaning, arching in the bed and tossing her head from side to side. It sparked interest in Viggo, but he had to play this carefully. Not wanting her to be intimidated by him. So instead, Viggo wandered back to the Maces and Talons board, taking his Chief piece and using it to knock down the opponents Chief. His plan would need to be brought forward sooner than what he’d originally thought. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I have to admit that I'm a little nervous to see what the reaction to this chapter is. Maybe I'll go hide under a rock for a while...


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, here we go. Hope you enjoy what is starting to unfold.

_ Hiccup’s hands roamed all over Astrid’s naked form, feeling her every curve, his mouth attached to hers in a frenzied kiss. Her own hands were clutching at his freckled shoulders with a vice like grip, using them as support in case her legs fully gave out from underneath her. Hiccup seemed to sense that she was struggling to stay upright because his hands moved down to the backs of her legs, just below her ass and gripped it tightly to lift her upwards – all without pausing their heated kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, legs encircling his bare waist as he slowly began to walk over towards the bed. His cock was hard and twitching against her lower abdomen, begging for attention as she nipped his swollen bottom lip between her teeth.  _

_ He groaned with desperation, laying her down on top of the furs before coming to hover above her, his hand dipping between her legs to feel how wet she was. She bucked into it, eager for more as his thumb pressed against her clit. He smiled lovingly at her, then moved downwards, kissing a path down her chest until he reached the valley between her breasts. Cupping one with his hand, his tongue teasingly flicked at her rosy nipple, giving it a few vigorous sucks before swapping to the other. Mewling, Astrid’s hand wove through his hair, gripping the auburn strands loosely to hold him there.  _

_ Letting the nipple go with a wet pop, Hiccup sat up slightly to observe her reaction when his finger finally entered her sex, clearly enjoying how her brows furrowed together and the way she bit her bottom lip. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she heard him shuffle slightly to sit closer towards her. Taking the opportunity with his new position, Astrid reached out to run her hand along his thigh until it came into contact with the hardened flesh of his cock. She gripped it tightly and gave it a few tugs before stroking it, the way she knew Hiccup liked – which resulted in a throaty moan from the man himself.  _

_ It didn’t take long before he was twitching in her hand, and he groaned as he came, the evidence decorating her upper abdomen and chest. Slumping forwards slightly and panting, Hiccup picked up the pace, his finger stroking and curling inside of her until she felt the familiar tingle of a rapidly building climax. Her body seized up, toes curling as pleasure began to take hold of her entire body, accompanied with a cry of ecstasy.  _

Astrid startled awake, lashing out when she noticed that someone was in front of her. Large hands caught her fists, holding them tightly to prevent her from moving them. 

“Astrid, easy – it’s just me.”

Astrid blinked as Viggo came into focus, noticing that he was wearing a worried expression on his face. He released her hands and she rubbed at her eyes, before coming to sit upright – making sure to hold the furs to cover her nudeness. It was probably pointless considering he had already seen everything anyway, though Astrid deemed it still appropriate to cover herself regardless. 

“Sorry... I think I was dreaming,” she admitted with embarrassment. 

“Oh, I think that was pretty clear,” Viggo replied smoothly. “Though I did wonder what the dream was about.” 

Astrid averted her eyes, choosing to stare at something on the floor instead of making eye contact with him. There was no way she could tell him the truth, so she had to think of something fast. 

“I uh – was dreaming about flying on a dragon.” Even though she wasn’t looking at his face, she could sense that he was raising an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation. “I think it was my dragon.” 

Finally, she brought her eyes back to meet Viggo’s, hoping that he believed what she had told him. Instead his gaze unnerved her. It was clear that he did not believe her explanation of the dream. Swallowing thickly, Astrid waited for him to say something. 

“Come now Astrid, you and I both know that was not what you were dreaming about. You can tell me the truth, I can assure you that you will not be punished,” he finally said after an awkward moment of silence. 

Astrid fidgeted slightly, removing her gaze again. She wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to tell him that it was Hiccup she had dreamed of – no, it definitely wouldn’t be a good idea. She had dreamt of their enemy, the one who had seduced her and then pushed her into a volcano with the intent to kill her. Yet none of this seemed to matter in the dream, in fact all Astrid had felt from dream Hiccup was love and adoration. If that was how he’d managed to woo her before the volcano incident then Astrid was not the least bit surprised that she’d fallen for it. He was good at acting it seemed, that was certainly true. But even then, these were things she couldn’t tell Viggo, and it was unlikely that he would accept it anyway, considering his desire to destroy the dragon riders, and also hers to some extent. So she quickly thought of another plan, hoping it would be enough to satisfy his curiosity. 

“I’m a little embarrassed…” 

Viggo hummed and reached out to take her hand in his, stroking the top of it gently with his thumb. “Go on,” he coaxed.

“I dreamt...of you,” she lied. “Of us, together.” 

Viggo removed his hand to bring it to her face, cupping her chin gently so that she would look him in the eye. “Is that so?” he asked. Astrid nodded, mentally kicking herself for saying something like that without thinking of the consequences first. It was out of line to say something like that, especially given their positions. There was no going back now though, the only option she had was to apologise and hope that he wouldn’t be offended. 

“I know it’s not really appropriate, given that I am just your warrior and nothing more–” 

Viggo made a shushing noise, placing a finger over her lips to silence her. “Now who decided that you were just a warrior and nothing more?” 

Astrid’s eyes widened at the implication of his words. Before she could respond, Viggo leant forwards to place his mouth over hers, making her freeze in shock. It took her a moment to fully register what was happening, and by the time she did, he was already pulling away. He looked amused by her flushed cheeks and wide eyes as she stared at him wordlessly. “Now that you’ve had that nap, how about you get dressed and help the others. We can discuss this later.” 

Astrid nodded and slid out of the bed with the furs still held against her, bending to pick up the clothes on the floor. She felt slightly embarrassed to dress in front of him like this, especially with how his eyes were roaming over her body, like they were full of expectations and desire. The look he was giving her now, was the opposite of the indifferent look he’d given only days earlier when he’d pulled her out of the bath. It made her curious to know what had changed. There was no time for questions though. Not now anyway. 

Fixing her hair, Astrid turned back to give Viggo an awkward smile before leaving the quarters and heading to the deck where all the hunters were at work. A few turned in her direction when she approached, nudging each other as she passed and muttering under their breaths. This greatly annoyed her, though she knew it was important to control her temper. Gritting her teeth and walking in the other direction, she tried to find a task elsewhere.

* * *

Viggo watched Astrid leave the quarters, stroking his neatly cut beard carefully. Her reaction to the kiss was...interesting to say the least. She hadn’t exactly pulled away, or shown signs of distress from his advances, but there was clearly shock, something that was probably a result of his eager move to distract her from the dream that he’d awoken her from. There was no doubt that she’d had a raunchy dream involving Hiccup, it was clear in the way she’d breathed his name in her sleep, and in the way she’d thrashed around in the bed before Viggo finally decided to wake her. 

The lie that she had told him was rather bold, Viggo thought, but also understandable. He knew that she wouldn’t want him to know about Hiccup being the person in her dreams. Especially with the knowledge that he had been the cause of her amnesia, and the reason she’d almost died. It intrigued him that she dreamt of Hiccup, whether it was actual memories or just vivid dreams, they were still a threat to his plan. Something that he would have to prevent from occurring if it was to work. 

Until he found a way to prevent the dreams or memories, Viggo was going to have to use other tactics to distract her. And he had just the idea on how to do it. 

* * *

Astrid ventured towards the opposite side of the deck, noticing Thuggory squatting next to a bucket of weapons nearby and decided to approach him.

“Hey Cami,” Thuggory called out as she came nearer. “Where have you been?” 

“Sleeping,” Astrid replied nonchalantly as she came to stand in front of him. “Viggo told me to get some rest since I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Thuggory scoffed, “Lucky for some, I spent all night gathering him some followers and do I get a rest, or a break. No, nothing for me.” 

“Maybe I’m just his favourite,” Astrid remarked bluntly. She grinned when he scowled at that, clearly not impressed by the truth in those words. “What are you doing anyway?” she questioned, gesturing to the bucket in front of him which was full of weapons. 

“Apparently Krogan needs these polished – got to have them shining bright for when they impale someone,” he replied with a tone filled with sarcasm. 

Astrid raised an eyebrow before squatting down to take a rag next to the bucket. “I’ll help you,” she offered. “Not like I have anything else to do.” Thuggory looked pleased to have an extra pair of hands, or perhaps it was because he finally had someone to talk to since he was the only hunter working at a task alone. “So,” Astrid began, “Nice roommates you have down there.”

Thuggory snorted. “Yeah, they’re just great, not! I actually thought they were going to gang up on you or something. I was this close to jumping in and fighting them off.” Now it was Astrid’s turn to snort, one eyebrow arching in his direction. 

“Seriously? I could’ve handled myself. And no offence, but you aren’t exactly a skilled fighter.” 

Thuggory shrugged. “That may be true, but I still would’ve tried.” Astrid’s features softened at that, the amused expression slipping into one of gratitude instead. “At least Viggo intervened though, and let you stay in his quarters instead of down there. It’s a pit.” Astrid hummed in agreement, picking up a weapon to polish. Her lack of response seemed to spark Thuggory to continue, clearly wanting to keep the conversation going. “So – you sharing a bed with Viggo or do you get the floor?” Astrid pursed her lips, choosing to ignore the questioning look Thuggory was giving her to focus on cleaning the head of an axe. “Come on, I’m not going to say anything,” he added.

Astrid sighed. “There is only one bed, but we will be taking turns in sleeping in it.” She shook her head at Thuggory’s snigger. “I don’t see what’s so funny.” 

Thuggory clapped his large hand between her shoulder blades, almost sending her face planting into the axe head that she had just finished polishing. “Yeah, and what about the washing arrangements?” 

Astrid rolled her eyes. “You’re being immature.” 

Thuggory pretended to pout. “Sorry, just trying to make conversation. Seriously though...be careful, with everything about your past memory missing, it pays to be cautious.” 

“Noted,” Astrid replied. “I am a bit confused though, because when I first woke up after the volcano, he spoke to me so formally, like I was nothing more than a warrior or someone of unimportance. But now, it’s as if he genuinely cares for me.” Thuggory paused, looking up from the sword hilt he was polishing with a frown. 

“Do you – find that odd at all? A few days ago you were scared of the guy and almost thought he would kill you for failing him, so what’s changed?” 

Astrid wanted to give an answer to that, only she didn’t have one. There wasn’t any explanation as to why Viggo’s behaviour towards her had changed, none that she could pinpoint anyway. She wondered if he would tell her if she asked, yet a small part of her was cautious to question such a thing. He had kissed her though, and seemed eager while doing it. Then again, he’d also stopped the kiss so abruptly, saying they would discuss it later, which left her even more confused. And then there was the intimate dream of Hiccup and her, which added even more confusion. It had felt so real. All of it. She wondered if it was perhaps a memory making its way through her mind. It would make sense, considering how compliant her dream self was, and how  _ loving _ he’d pretended to be. There was also the fact that their new ally, Johann, knew her before the accident, and not only that, he was clearly wary of her. This was something else she was rather curious about. 

“Honestly? I wouldn’t have a clue,” she replied with a shrug. “Your guess is as good as mine.” Thuggory didn’t answer to that, obviously too busy trying to make sense of it himself. Now Astrid felt uncomfortable with the silence, and decided to tell him about the dream, hoping he could give some sort of insight since he was the only person she could really tell. “Hey ah, have you ever had like a vivid, sex dream or something?” 

Thuggory’s eyes widened, mouth gaping slightly. “Woah, that was not what I was expecting to come out of your mouth. But to answer your question, sure, I have them but I wouldn’t say they’re vivid as such.  _ Why _ ? Is your dream dragon lover back?” Astrid shushed him, quickly looking around to make sure no one had heard them. 

“You can’t tell anyone about that okay, if Viggo or anyone else found out, I’d be in big trouble.” 

Thuggory frowned, nodding when he saw the desperate look on her face. “Okay – I won’t say anything. Was it though?” 

Astrid nodded in confirmation, not offering any other further explanation. The dream she’d had was not unlike the dreams of meeting him on that beach, except this time she almost swore that she could still feel his touch on her skin, along with the warm wetness from his eager mouth and tongue. What intrigued her the most, was the way he’d gazed at her. It was almost as if his eyes could speak a thousand love languages in the way they’d looked into her own. She couldn’t ponder about it though, and had to remind herself that the whole thing was fake after all – their romance nothing more than a battle strategy to this Hiccup person. There was no way she would give him the satisfaction of ever getting into her head again, even with those vivid dreams. “I better get going, I want to see if I can find Johann. I’ll see you later okay,” she told him as she got to her feet.

“See you later Cami, or should I say Astrid? What exactly is your name?” he asked. 

Astrid paused, turning back to look at him. “It’s Astrid – Viggo wanted me to be called Cami, as protection from the dragon riders since they want to kill me.” 

Thuggory made a face. “Really? They want to kill  _ you _ ?” 

Astrid nodded. “They do.”

“Wow,” Thuggory responded, bringing a hand to scratch the top of his head. “So what is the plan if they find you, and Viggo?” 

“Kill them first,” Astrid replied with a shrug. Her declaration came void of any type of emotion, making Thuggory instantly believe the truth to those words. She turned again and began to walk away, leaving Thuggory behind to finish polishing the rest of the weapons. There didn’t appear to be much else to do, considering all the hunters were already working on what needed to be done. So Astrid just wandered around the deck, looking for Johann until she noticed him walking nearby. Her feet carried her over to him and she cleared her throat, making the older man jump in response. 

“Oh, Miss Astrid, I didn’t even see you there,” Johann voiced nervously. “Can I be of any help?” 

“Yeah – I was just wondering how you knew who I was? And why did you act so weird?” she questioned and bit her lip, hoping that he would give an answer that would help lift some of the confusion. “I also apologise for being rude.” She added sheepishly. 

“Oh yes, that is quite all right. Well we worked together briefly during the war with the dragon riders. I was undercover, pretending to be on their side, and well, the act was a force of habit I suppose.” 

Astrid’s heart dropped. It didn’t offer many pieces to the puzzle, but that still didn’t stop her from pressing on. “Did you see me with Hiccup, the leader of the dragon riders?” At that question, Johann visibly recoiled. 

“I – don’t know what you mean, Miss Astrid?” he admitted. His eyes were darting all over the place, clearly avoiding making eye contact. 

“I mean, did you see how we were? Like if we appeared in love or did it actually look like an act?”

Now Johann looked even more nervous. “Well, from what I saw, it looked as if you two were in love. It seems I was mistaken, given the rumours of what happened on that volcano.” He stood there, wringing his hands together and wearing a smile that was so forced it almost looked painful. 

“Okay, thank you,” was all she replied as she turned to leave. A hand placed on her shoulder prevented her from doing so. 

“I am sorry that the boy used that love to take advantage of you,” Johann declared gently. Astrid gave him a nod, moving away slightly so that his hand dropped from her shoulder. He gave her an encouraging smile which she tried to return, though it was half-heartened at best. 

Sighing, Astrid decided to resign back to the quarters to see what Viggo was doing. Maybe he could teach her how to play Maces and Talons like he had promised earlier. All she knew was that she needed a distraction. A distraction from the dream she’d had, and a distraction from Hiccup invading her thoughts – making her question everything about her past. She also wanted to know what was happening between Viggo and herself, such as why his manner towards her had become soft and caring all of a sudden. And that kiss. Could he really want her after everything? She supposed there was only one way to know, and that was to ask him directly. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Astrid is feeling a bit confused, I'd like to say that it is going to make sense for her soon, but that would be a lie...

**Author's Note:**

> I've sat on this idea for a while and decided to take the plunge and write it. I've always seen Astrid as a fearlessly loyal person but thought it would be interesting to see how that loyalness would look if she was on the wrong side.


End file.
